Nocturne of the Fallen
by Hotaru Shidosha
Summary: Review and tell me what you think, if no one seems interested - will not be posting more (I write it for me so if no one is reading - oh well lol :3 ) This tale starts off with a human rogues who loses everything in one night, his young wife carrying his unborn child goes missing in the chaos.
1. Vicente

This is my first Warcraft story and I hope it is not the last. I have background alias pieces done for the characters so you have a general idea on some appearance as well as how they are under my WMV section of my gallery. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did writing it. ~ Firefly

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Chapter 1 - Vicente

The evening sun began its decent into the horizon, a cool autumn breeze dancing through the grass fields, drying the sweat off a lone miner's brow. The muscled man leaned back from the mineral deposit he was working on, stretching slightly to ease the tension from the day's work. Walking back to his tool cart, he leaned his pick axe against it, dusting off his black slacks, and grabbed his red, button-down shirt, putting it on.

"Vicente!" a female voice called. Vicente turned his attention to the young woman who was approaching him, a smile crossing his face. The woman returned his smile with her own, brushing her long, black hair behind her ear. She had long, black hair reaching about her waist and dark emerald eyes which glittered upon making contact with his gaze. "Vicente, dinner is ready, my love," she said, walking beside him, her hands cradling her slightly bulged stomach. She straightened her dark green dress, the torso being like a black vest stitched to it with a criss-cross design of black lace going down the front with a low cut neckline. Her long sleeves billowed out, covering her from the evening breeze.

"Oh yeah?" he replied, kneeling down before her, placing his own hands gently on her tummy. "Little one being feisty at all today?" She giggled, her green eyes sparkling.

"Vicente, it's only been three months, hehe. This little one isn't going to be moving for awhile. I am a bit weary though," she responded. He peered up at her before climbing to his feet, his blue eyes meeting her emerald ones.

"Aw, poor Rozetta," he said brushing his hand against her cheek. Then, in one careful motion, he scooped her up and off her feet, gently cradling her in his arms.

"Vicente!" she gasped, clutching at his still open shirt, making a pouty face upon hearing him chuckle.

"You said you were tired. I will carry you in," he replied. The dark haired girl snuggled into his chest, smiling. Kissing her forehead, Vicente started walking towards their home, the sun disappearing into the horizon.

* * *

The warm light of the fireplace illuminated the small house, giving it an orange glow to it. In front of it was a plush carpet with four pillows in a small semi-circle with Rozetta resting against them. Her husband came up next to her, pulling a strand of her hair from her face before kissing her.

"Dinner was amazing as always, dear," he said. She smiled wearily, glancing at him before returning her gaze to the fireplace. "Does something trouble you, my love?" She could hear concern lacing his voice. She placed her hand over his in reassurance, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"No, darling, I am just tired. Also, this warmth comforts me so. It has a soothing effect on me," she replied. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her protectively while kissing the top of her head. "I cannot wait until this little one is born. I wonder if it is a girl or a boy."

"Whatever it is, it will be our precious child that I will protect along with you for as long as I am able," he replied, giving her a squeeze as they continued to stare into the flames.

* * *

Evening fell, the orange hue of the sun disappearing over the horizon, clouds covering the remaining rays of the sun. Dark, billowing clouds towered over the small village, thunder cracking in the distance. The wind began picking up, whipping though the trees and howling mercilessly. Vicente ran around the back, grabbing his bag filled with minerals he recently mined.

"Vicente? Vicente, where are you?"

"Rozetta, get back inside!" he yelled, running up. She backed away, giving him room to run in. He placed the bag inside near the doorway and as he turned to close the door, behind him, he heard a male voice shout over the storm.

"Someone please help me!" the blonde man yelled, staggering near the center of town. Vicente shot a glance over at his wife before rushing out to assist the man. Pulling him arm over his shoulder, Vicente guided him to his home as fast as he could with Rozetta closing the door behind them. Vicente set the man down, brushing his jet black bangs from his eyes, water dripping down his face and torso.

"Oh it's Robert, you poor thing," Rozetta said, running to grab a blanket.

"Don't rush, honey. Please be careful," Vicente warned, nervous for his wife. He turned to Robert, looking down to see his head downcast, his blonde hair matted down from the rain and it was clear that he was breathing rather heavily. "Hey, are you ok?" He crouched down near the blonde, moving to touch his arm. Just before he made contact, Robert's head shot up, his skin showing a layer of sweat and it was becoming slightly gray. His blue eyes began changing into a rusty red, a look of intense pain showing through them.

"Vi-Vicente, it hurts… so m-much... help... please," Robert moaned, curling into a ball. He moved to get his hair out of his eyes only to find a handful of his blonde stands easily fall out. The dark haired male jumped back in surprise. The blonde stared at his lost hair in horror; his gaze meeting Vicente's finally, pleading.

"W-what's happening to you, Robert? When did this start?"

"I h-heard that J-John was ill but people thought it w-was just a f-flu. However, s-several others began catching it and I heard John passed away," Robert stuttered.

"Why didn't we hear anything about this!?" Vicente demanded, anger swelling.

"This just happened over the past three days, sir," Robert sobbed. Outside, the wind howled and the rain began to pound hard against the ground. Thunder rumbled low in the distance and lightening etched through the ominous sky. Vicente stared down at the man at his feet, trying to make sense of what he just learned and what it meant for him and his wife. Rozetta emerged from the other room with a heavy blanket, about to bring it to the man until her husband's gaze stopped her.

"Sweetheart?" she murmured. He again glanced at Robert, beginning to back away from him slowly. "What's wrong?"

"We're leaving."

"What? Vicente, what is wrong?" the dark haired woman demanded. He walked up to her, taking the blanket she was holding and placed it on her shoulders

"We need to leave. It isn't safe here. Please don't ask: Just do it." Their eyes locked as if they had their own silent language and with that her eyes went downcast, frowning as she nodded in compliance. Suddenly from outside, there was a loud shriek of people crying out in fear. Vicente moved to the window peering out to see a lone man on horseback, raising his sword towards the fleeing villages as his silvery blonde hair danced in the crazed wind. The rain had died down for the time being, lightening crackling in the dark sky. The rogue's eyes widened, fear gripping him tighter. "Arthas…" He watched in horror as Arthas rode down the stone path, slashing at the defenseless people.

"I shall cleanse this disease from the world! Your blood with purify this village!" To Vicente's shock, some of the people he saw the prince slash down had similar symptoms as Robert. A scream cut Vicente's train of thought short as he turned to see Rozetta backing away from the diseased blonde as he crawled towards her. His skin had become slimy and more hair fell out as he dragged himself across the floor. The pregnant girl pressed her back against the wall, horror fixed in her emerald eyes. The rogue ran over to her, grabbing his swords from the mantle on the wall above the fireplace.

"What's wrong with him!? What is going on? Vicente?" The rogue glared at the creature at his feet that used to be a fellow friend, thoughts of what was happening plaguing him. A creature. That is what Robert had become in front of their eyes. Something changed him and was spreading throughout the village, and now, even worse, Arthas from the Silver Hand was now killing everyone to cleanse them. Vicente's eyes widened as a terrible realization gripped him, his gaze going to his young bride then falling to her slightly bulged stomach. His face grew stern as he drew back his swords.

"Get out of here. Go out the back. I will follow in a moment," he ordered, pulling her toward the back room and away from the diseased creature. "I need you safe. Please," he whispered. He could see it in her eyes, the look of terror from the thought of being separated from him. "Look, I know you're scared but please, _please_ think of the baby. I would rather die than lose you two." He planted a kiss on her forehead as she began crying.

"V-Vicente, I-I…." she stuttered as she dried her eyes. The zombie behind them moaned, the sound of his rotting body slowly dragging against the floor. Vicente brushed his hand down the side of her face lovingly, kissing her forehead once more. "No…. No, no, no…" The rogue grabbed a black shawl, replacing the large blanket with it over her shoulders.

"Run and don't look back. I'll distract Arthas. I can't let anything happen to you or our child," he said, looking back at the creature moaning. It had stopped for a moment, its ragged breathing making its body shake and it growled low. "Rozetta," he murmured gently, grabbing her chin, "I will meet you at Blackwood Lake, ok?" She looked at him, her eyes glossy with fresh tears. "Everything will be alright. I love you so much," he whispered, closing in and taking her lips with his in a passionate kiss. The screams outside grew louder and now the crackling of fire broke out as one of the houses were set ablaze.

"My people! I will cleanse your souls of this filth that Mal'Ganis has cast upon you. I will deliver you salvation! May your souls rest in peace and find their way to the Promised Land!" Arthas yelled as he lit the next house on fire. Men and women ran in terror as the smoke and ash consumed the air. A lot were asking why he was doing this and what was wrong with them. Most were merely screaming and crying, tending to wounds while trying to get away. The corrupted prince made his way towards Vicente's house.

"Where's my baby!?" a woman screamed, running through the town and through the scattering people. Arthas turned his attention towards her for a moment, trotting after her.

"Now is your chance, my love. Get out of here."

"I-I… Vicente…" she stuttered, grasping at his hands, "I don't want to leave you. I just can't." Outside, the high shrill of a woman signaled that the possessed prince found his prey, continuing his path to the rogue's home. The rogue peered out the window for a second before looking back at his panicked wife as she nervously ran her hands through her long, black hair that she pulled over her shoulder. Her brow knotted in sorrow as she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"You must. I love you, Rozetta," with one last kiss, he opened the door for her, waiting. "Take the horse." She took in a deep, shaky breath, knowing full well she couldn't argue with him. He was terribly stubborn and always believed that everything he thought of was best. She knew in her heart this was a bad idea. That something terrible was waiting to happen. She peered up at him, hugging him as tightly as she could, her stomach bumping him.

"I love you, Vicente. You better not die on me," she cried, kissing him once more. Reluctantly and carefully, Rozetta hurried outside to fetch the steed which had not been startled yet, glancing back occasionally at him as she ran. Vicente turned back inside to what was once Robert on his floor, eyeing it in anger. Walking around it to a cabinet, Vicente opened the double door revealing a full set of Bonescythe armor on display. The zombie let out a loud moan, causing the rogue to glance over.

"That's right, Robert," he said, beginning to grab the pieces of armor, "It's show time."

* * *

Arthas trotted over to the next house, hearing the sudden roar of one of the undead from the dwelling before him. Dismounting from his horse, the prince drew his sword before storming right up to the door and opening it. The only source of light for the house was the glow from the flames outside as Arthas walked into the structure, his eyes falling on the zombie squirming on the ground. It writhed in what looked like pain as Arthas then noticed a small throwing knife in the creature's arm, effectively pinning it to the ground. Without even thinking, the corrupted prince waltzed up and sank his blade into it, silencing its cries.

"Another soul cleansed. Now, why don't you show yourself and let me help you while you still have your mind," the blonde prince murmured, glancing around the dark room. He heard a man scoff in disgust from the shadows.

"You call this 'help?' This is madness. This slaughter is wrong. You should be looking for ways to cure them, not murder them," Vicente said sternly. From outside behind the house, a horse bellowed, the sound of its hooves pounding the ground caught Arthas' attention to which Vicente noticed. He knew it was his wife and that he couldn't have the prince running after her. Quickly with the flick of his wrist, the rogue threw distracting powder, the sharp noise causing Arthas' attention to shift once more. _'Easily distracted. Something is very wrong. It's like he is possessed. Like it's not really him,'_ the rogue thought to himself.

"Come out, you fool! I've no time for nonsense," Arthas growled out. After a very short pause, Arthas grabbed his cloak, sweeping it around himself as he moved to leave. "Very well, I was going to burn it all anyway." An orange glow swarmed his body as he used the seal to blast the door off its hinges, splinters showering the ground. As he walked away from the house he was suddenly stopped as a throwing knife caught his cloak, pinning it to the ground. Arthas turned in time to see the Bonescythe clad rogue land and charge at him, swords drawn and ready to strike. The prince brought his own sword up, blocking the frontal assault and parrying, knocking Vicente back. As the dark haired man regained his footing, Arthas freed himself from the dagger and charged up another seal. "So, you wish to fight me? This is what I get for saving you from the clutches of the Dreadlord?"

"This isn't saving! Have you lost all sense!?"

"You dare speak to me like that, knave? Defying me will cost you dearly," Arthas growled. Fire crackled in the air, ashes softly raining down upon them as the thunder roared above, the darkening sky threatening to open up and give rain once again. The wind picked up, growing harsher and spreading the fire, pushing the hungry flames to Vicente's home, the smell of sulfur and burning wood filling the air. "This place is now saved. You are all that is left now. It will be up to you whether you suffer or if it's quick."

"I will not die here. That is not in your power. You are supposed to be protecting your people," Vicente said, firming his stance. Arthas merely stared at him, his gaze sending a chill through the rogue. Thunder roared and a crack of lightening flashed as the two charged at one another, their blades colliding, Vicente's crossing over in an 'X' in front of him to block Arthas' downward blow. The sound of steel grinding and sparks flew as the two pushed against each other to break defenses. Suddenly, the blonde leaned back slightly before pushing forward, breaking Vicente's block and causing him to lose his footing and stumble back.

"Now you're mine," Arthas hissed, charging up a Seal of Command and using it to throw Vicente in the smoldering remains of one of the houses. Upon collision, the brittle frame crumbled inward, some of the planks trapping the rogue. Blood oozed from the gash that now graced the dark haired man's forehead above his right eye, making him dizzy. Rain started falling, softly at first but it quickly became harsher, causing Arthas' hair to mat to his head and face. Firming his grip on the hilt of his sword, the prince waltzed up to the wreck and grabbed the fallen rogue by the throat, yanking him up.

'_This is it. I'm so sorry, Rozetta, my love. Please be safe,'_ he thought. The corrupted paladin raised his sword, lightening crackling through the dark sky.

"I have the power," Arthas whispered, "I also have the power to make use of you and have you suffer for your defiance. Now, you shall serve me." With that, he plunged his sword to the hilt through Vicente's chest, hearing him cry out in pain. Another sharp cry escaped as the sword was pulled out, blood pouring from the wound. Vicente collapsed to the ground, Arthas' words plaguing and confusing him. He looked up at the paladin prince as blood came up through his mouth, finding a bright blue flame forming in this palm. "Welcome… to my kingdom."

* * *

The horse's hooves pounded the ground, dodging trees and jumping logs and small streams. Rozetta held tightly to the reins, being sure her stomach was not bumped or crushed as she rode on. The rain started pouring as thunder and lightening continued rumbling on. As she finally reached Blackwood Lake, Rozetta dismounted from the steed keeping a firm grasp on the reins. Her long, black hair was now soaked and matted to her head looking like thin strands. Also her eyes were red, streaks of tears staining her face, mingling with the harsh rainfall.

"You better be safe or I don't know what I'd do, Vicente," she sobbed to herself as she clutched the reins. Her glossy green eyes scanned the lake, looking for a safe place for shelter.

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Hotaru Shidosha ~


	2. Awakening

Chapter 2 is here! Thank you for those who commented on DeviantART and thank you to those who added this to your alert. This means a lot to me ^.^

Made this chapter longer, hope you aren't intimidated by it lol.

For anyone here on Fanfiction who is interested in seeing my characters and reading their information just visit my DA page under my name HotaruShidosha. :3

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Chapter 2 - Awakening

All there was was the cold and darkness. Vicente felt his limbs bearing a great strain as he tried to move, feeling as though his body was waking up from a long slumber. Even though his eyes were open, the place he was in was black, though no sense of fear grasped him. Lifting his arms slowly, the rogue's hands hit wood, finding that he seemed to be encased in a box. Once more, he realized he felt no emotion at this, wondering what was wrong with him. Placing his hands against the cover, he lifted, opening up the case and sliding it over, hearing it clatter to the stone floor. The room wasn't even lit well but anything was bright to Vicente as he shielded himself as he adjusted. It was then that the horror finally struck him as he adjusted to see a bony hand. Quickly, he began to examine the rest of his body finding that he looked like an undead. Now panicked, Vicente looked around where he was seeing more boxes and random bodies strewn about in his area. The room was circular with what looked like a circular fighting pit in the center with prisoners chained up against its walls, some silent while others sobbed in anguish. Chains hung from the ceiling and walls, jingling as they swayed; also the torches that hung from the walls showed very little light. Vicente looked down at himself, seeing himself garbed in black robes, a black hood over his head, blocking his peripheral vision. His mind raced, his eyes darting around trying to absorb this turn of events while attempting to make sense of what was going on. He then grabbed his head, attempting to scream but his voice cracked and was hoarse from not being used.

"Well, well, another one awakens," came a deep and eerie voice. Vicente stopped trying to scream to look up at the tall man in blue armor. "I am Instructor Razuvious. Our Lord awaits you on the balcony. Don't keep him waiting any longer then you already have." Silently, the rogue strained to climb to his feet and out of his coffin. He felt so fragile. How long was he asleep? What happened while he slumbered? Then, he froze, remembering his beloved.

'_Oh my God, Rozetta, please tell me you are ok. Oh my God…' _he thought, grabbing his head once more. He dragged on and as he got closer to the balcony, he realized that he gained strength. Once he climbed the small amount of stairs, he came into view with a tall man in black armor with the rumored runeblade, Frostmourne. As if he sensed Vicente, the man turned towards him, his blue, glowing eyes boring through the rogue's very being.

"Ah.. another soldier. Welcome to my kingdom, my Harbinger of Death. I am the Lich King. You now serve me," the king stated, pointing Frostmourne at him before setting it down at his side. At that moment, the Lich King seemed to lean forward and squint. "It's you. I remember you," he said, walking up to Vicente. "So you have finally awakened." This caught the rogue off guard.

"W-what?" Vicente choked out, his voice harsh. The king holstered Frostmourne, reaching up and removing his helmet, his now silver hair falling free. Vicente squinted as if thinking, his own glowing blue eyes wisping a blue flame-like aura from them. It then clicked, his head jerking back in surprise. "Prince Arthas?!"

"No longer am I a prince. All that you see is mine. You have slumbered long since Corin's Crossing but it matters not. You are now one of my Death Knights. You will begin your training like all the others." Arthas said as he walked to the balcony, resting his helm on the rail.

"H-how long h-has it been?" Vicente choked out. His voice was returning to him.

"I've no time for this. The Scarlet Crusade is making a pitiful attempt to claim back what we've taken. Go to the lower floor and find my servant, Darion. He will help you with your training. Now go. Get out of my sight and make yourself useful." The silver haired man turned his back to him, his cloak and hair billowing out behind him. Vicente backed off, walking down the stairs and through the portal next to level. He appeared in an area similar to what was upstairs except there was no pit. Instead there were bookshelves and desks strewn with papers.

"Another poor fool for the slaughter," came a stern voice from behind him. Upon turning around, Vicente saw a large man standing at the top of the stairs on the right, peering down at him. His black and dark purple armor clanked as he made his way down, keeping his gaze on the undead rogue. "I am Darion Morgraine, Highlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade. We shall head down to Death's Breach and begin your training. Let's move."

"Wait, please," Vicente said softly, watching his gaze through his horned helm. "I must know. How long has it been since Arthas destroyed Corin's Crossing? Please." Darion tilted his head in interest as the rogue moved towards the base of the stairway, his frail hands gripping the banister.

"You remember things from before? You have memories of your life?" he asked.

"Is that strange?" the rogue asked, keeping himself still by grasping the banister. Darion reached the base of the stairway, looking down into the smaller man's eyes. Vicente began to feel uneasy, wondering just what the Highlord was looking at. "Is there something wrong?" Darion pulled back, realizing just who this undead was.

"So, it's you then. You're the first one our Lord changed. He had waited a long time for you to awaken. Much has happened since that time when you died." The undead turned his eyes away slowly, his thoughts consuming him.

"Died…" Vicente whispered, clutching at his chest with one hand. He stared at the ground in thought, a flashback of his dear Rozetta telling him that he better not die and leave her alone. Using the hand that was against his chest, Vicente grabbed his head once more, an overwhelming headache rising up and clutching him. He groaned under the strain, squeezing his eyes shut. All this stress was bearing down on him. Darion scoffed, walking passed him and to the portal.

"We need to get moving. The time to dwell on your thoughts and memories is over. Now we shall begin your training to gain your strength back and get you prepared for the battle ahead. The Scarlet Crusade is trying to take back the land we have taken from them in a futile effort. Let us go down to ground level, Death's Breach." With that, he stepped into the portal, disappearing from sight. Vicente stared after him a moment, feeling the tension in his head melt away. Looking down at his hands, the rogue decided that he needed to get away from this place.

'_Perhaps this 'training' will help me find a way out of here. For now, I will do what they ask,'_ he mused to himself, following the Highlord to the training grounds. Once emerging from the portal, Darion waved his arm out, showing the rogue the camp that was set up. There were a few demonic creatures running about paying no mind to them. Also there were some humans who appeared to be experimenting and selling goods. In the distance along the cliff, Vicente saw a strange being that almost appeared vampiric, his long, silver hair flowing down his back while his red eyes took notice of Vicente's gaze. The vampire broke his glance, continuing his pacing while looking down at what was below. The sound of warfare and victims' cries filled the air, dark smoke and ash billowing up from the battleground below. Darion walked towards the cliffside, Vicente close behind him.

"This is what our Lord has commanded," the Highlord said, showing the undead the scene below. Humans with the symbol of the Scarlet gracing their tabards were attempting to fend off the undead and demonic creatures that advanced them, some running in fear. Vicente looked down in time to see a man trip and fall, turning over to raise his arms to try and defend himself from the monster that began clawing at him, blood splattering the ground. The man's gurgled scream caused the rogue to shiver, looking away. The vampire close by noticed this, walking up beside the two.

"I see you have a new recruit, Highlord."

"Yes, Blood Prince, this is the one our Lord has been waiting for," Darion responded. The vampire glanced at the Highlord a moment before leaning down to get a good look at Vicente, who jerked back in surprise. Valanar scoffed before backing away, turning his gaze to the battle below. The Highlord turned back towards the camp, his arm outstretched. "Now then, rogue, you will become on of our Death Knight soldier's. You will learn the means of the two handed swords or axes. We shall grace you with heavy armor and a steed of your own. In time you will become one of us." Vicente merely looked over the camp again; his thoughts elsewhere as he began thinking of how to get away from this place, of when would be the best time to escape. "Come, let us begin."

* * *

The strain of the training grew with each assignment, going from stealing horses and rescuing comrades to assassinating Scarlet soldiers and high officers. The more Vicente did for the Highlord and Blood Prince, the more he felt his sanity slip away. He knew these things he did were wrong, that the more he did the more he helped the wrong cause, but he knew in his heart that this was what was needed to gain more strength and resources to use to escape. He knew with each mission, he gained more power and weapons to use at his disposal. He had seen other Death Knights, others who experienced the same awakening as he, but he noticed that they seemed mindless, as if they had lost their former selves. It saddened him to see, knowing full well it meant that either they were picked off while they were alone or that their home suffered the same as his. How many lives had Arthas and his men stolen? How many fell to them and fed that runeblade? Vicente closed his eyes at these questions, afraid to find the answers. Currently, Vicente had earned enough to have a full set of armor and sword, the black gear glowing with a blue aura. He was told by the Blood Prince to finally speak once again to the Lich King, who he was told was standing on the alter overlooking the battlefield. The rogue bit his lip, glancing up at the back of the demon prince.

"What brings you to me, my Harbinger. How are you fairing with the training of a Death Knight? Certainly different then what you are used to," Arthas said without looking at him. Vicente glared at him; he had only picked up enough to get through what he needed, wishing he had his old gear, his rogue training wanting to surface. Ignoring the question that was given to him, Vicente kneeled on one knee, bowing his head.

"I was told to speak to you, my King," he said quietly. Just saying that made him sick to his stomach. Arthas glanced down at him a moment before looking over the cliff once more.

"We have an attack we have prepared to strike Light's Hope Chapel. Losing the Chapel will be a huge blow to the Alliance forces that have come to Eastern Plaguelands to try and salvage it. It's located northwest of Tyr's Hand. The Argent Dawn feel they are able to fix things here but we shall show them just how useless their little cause is. Go now, south of the Breach, Darion is waiting for you. He will lead the assault."

"I will at once," Vicente responded, climbing to his feet. Walking away from the corrupted prince to his death steed, its glowing eyes flaring, Vicente mounted the beast, pulling the reins to urge it to head to the edge of Light's Hope where the Highlord waited. Upon exiting the stone tunnel that was now opened at the south end of the camp, Vicente trotted out to find what appeared to be a nest-like area for ghouls and zombies. Bones scattered the ground while purple auras and fog glided across the floor. Ghouls crawled and dragged through the debris, heading south to the ramp-like path that ended at Browman Mill. Once he reached the bottom, Vicente spotted the group of Death Knights with Darion at the lead with Keleseth at his side whom Vicente had rescued some time ago.

"Soldiers of our Lord, Death Knights of Acherus, Minions of the darkness; hear the call of your Highlord and rise before me to serve! We make our way to Light's Hope Chapel. The skies turn red with the blood of the fallen, the Lich King watches over us as we bring him glory this day! Leave no one!" Highlord Morgraine screamed while raising his sword. The ground rumbled as zombies and ghouls awakened from their slumber and crawled from the firm dirt. Darion kicked the side of his steed, urging it to charge forward while releasing a war cry. Vicente grimaced at the group as they rushed forward, seeing the mindless Death Knights and ghouls doing as they were told. He stayed back, hoping that Morgraine didn't notice him. No such luck as the man turned and urged him forward with a wave, waiting for the rogue to stop next to him. "Come now, Vicente, we shall show this Argent Dawn that they are not to take us lightly.

"I have reason to believe we won't," Vicente murmured, staring at the mob before them. Morgraine didn't catch his whisper as he charged forward with Vicente beside him. Once he reached the crowd, the rogue jumped from his steed, looking around pretending to attack. He spotted one of the zombies coming up upon the Night Elf named Raine who had fallen over, seeing it about to bring its claws down upon her until he jumped before it, slashing through its torso. She peered up at him, a curious look on her face. The rogue took a quick glance at her before moving away before someone realized what he had done for her. Again and again, Vicente snuck around stopping the Highlord's minions from hurting the Argent Dawn. Finally, Tirion himself appeared before them all, stopping the bloodshed and bringing the Death Knights to their knees.

"Stand down, my Death Knights, we have lost. This land.. the light here is intense. Something about this place is strange," Morgraine strained out. Tirion walked up before him, a look of disappointment across his face. He glanced down at the corrupted Ashbringer in the Highlord's grasp, remembering the man's father.

"Darion, you never could win here. Your master knows what lies beneath these grounds. That is why he dares not show his face here. That is why he sent you and your Death Knights to die." Morgraine jumped up, glaring at the paladin.

"Silence, old man! Your lies will not effect me!" As he said this, a glimmering wisp of clouds formed behind him and his army, a figure emerging and pointing to the Highlord.

"My boy, what has become of you? What has the darkness done to you?"

"Father?!" Darion screamed in pain before what appeared to be an image of his former self emerged in the form of a ghost, running to the image of his father explaining that he wanted to fight the Scourge and would rather die in battle then sit and do nothing while at home. His father's spirit shook his head replying that he was not old enough to fight and that he must always remember what he was fighting for. As he tried to finish his speech, his father was sucked back and into Frostmourne as Arthas walked through the glimmering mist to point at the Highlord.

"Your father's soul is now mine!" Arthas said, throwing his head back to laugh as Morgraine screamed in anger. Vicente glanced at Tirion, seeing the holy man glare at Arthas while balling his fists. "Your deaths are insignificant."

"Damn you, Arthas! I will kill you!" Darion screamed running to strike him only to be thrown aside like a doll. Looking over at Tirion, Darion tossed the corrupted Ashbringer to him, watching it become purified upon the paladin's touch. Tirion charged at the Lich King, their blades clashing. Vicente growled low remembering the night Arthas took everything from him, the sparks of the swords reminding him of their duel. A flash of being in the debris of a broken house entered his mind, causing Vicente to shake his head. The Argent Dawn soldiers glanced at him upon seeing him move, their eyes going back to their leader as he jumped back from Arthas, holding his stance.

"You can't run forever, boy. One day, everything you have done will come to haunt you. I wonder if even now if your father's spirit taunts you," Tirion said. Vicente glanced at the paladin in confusion.

'_He killed his own father? For some reason I'm not that surprised,_' the rogue thought. Arthas growled, backing into a puff of dark smoke that formed behind him.

"I'm not a boy anymore. I am a King. Learn it now before I teach you in the afterlife, paladin!"

"You will always be a boy to me. You tried that talk with Uther at Stratholme and what did they do? They left you behind. That was when you first began showing that the darkness was taking control of you. I pity you," Tirion said, keeping a firm grip on the Ashbringer. The smoke began licking at Arthas' body, spreading around him.

"One day I will kill you, old man. One day I will," he said as he disappeared into the darkness. Tirion turned to Darion, walking over and helping him up from his knees where he clutched where Arthas had struck him.

"Darion, do you understand now? He doesn't care about you, any of you," he said looking around at the other Death Knights. His eyes finally fell on the rogue, feeling something different about him. The human warrior of the Argent Dawn ran to Tirion after speaking with the others, whispering something in his ear. Once he was finished, the paladin glanced at Vicente before looking back at the other Death Knights. "I hope we can join together to help stop Arthas. This Lich King must be stopped. His hunger for power is going to destroy us all. I hope that you can each find yourselves some allies whether that be with the Alliance or the Horde. In either case, both are fighting to stop this darkness." Darion nodded, turning to his army.

"We shall take Acherus from them! It shall be ours!" The Death Knights cheered, raising their weapons in enthusiasm. Darion formed a Death Gate, bowing to Tirion before walking through with the army following him. Vicente moved to walk in to follow when Tirion raised his arm to stop him. The rogue tilted his head at him in confusion, watching him.

"I understand that you never struck us, that you stopped your own men from harming us. We thank you," he said, bowing his head. The other Argent Dawn members bowed their heads as well. Vicente turned his gaze to stare off in the distance before raising his hand in look at it.

"Arthas took everything from me. For some reason I still have vivid memories of when I was alive but I don't know what happened to my bride. I hope she is alright. I desire nothing more then to make sure she is safe and to see Arthas lose everything. I have no qualm with you or the Alliance or Horde. All I can do right now is try to free myself from this curse. Even though I will never be alive again," Vicente said. Taking a quick glance at the group before him, he bowed his head slightly before walking through the portal. Once on the other side, Vicente was greeted by cries of monsters and Death Knights as he looked over at the pit to see a giant creature known as Patchwerk running about knocking the Death Knights around. The rogue drew his two hander before looking down at it a moment, glancing over to see a pile of weapons near the forge, a matching pair of daggers sitting on the top. The hilts were made of white gold, with black leather wrapped around for grip; the silver blade curved slightly and showed glowing blue runes running down the flats. Running over, Vicente discarded the two-hander to replace it with these dual daggers, running over to the battle and using the blades to climb up Patchwerk's back. Once he reached the monster's shoulders, he dug both daggers into the beast's neck, severing its head from its body. As it hit the ground, Vicente jumped off, flipping and landing on the ground as the blood pooled around the carcass behind him. The other Death Knights killed the smaller ghouls in no time after, claiming victory over the Ebon Blade stronghold. Up the stairs on the balcony, Darion opened two portals, one going to the front gates of Stormwind while the other was the gates of Orgimmar.

"Go now and go to their leaders. With Tirion's blessing, we have a chance at being accepted," Highlord Morgraine said, "Tirion has sent scouts to alert them of our arrival. The people do not yet know, but do not take their harsh words or actions. It will be better in time." One by one, Death Knights gradually stepped into each portal, seeking their own acceptance into each faction. Vicente walked up the stairs to the balcony, holstering his new weapons, feeling better knowing he didn't need to pretend to be a knight any longer, returning to his rogue roots. Reaching the top of the stairs, he looked between each portal, his thoughts flying. He wanted to head to Stormwind but he knew in his heart that would have to wait, just looking at his dead body would make them turn their eyes from him, would make them shun him away and probably even try to destroy him. He looked at the Orgimmar portal, walking through.

* * *

Thrall glared down at the blue eyed undead, thinking over Vicente's oath to join the Horde. The rogue remained kneeled down, seeing the orc guards on either side waiting to see what may happen or what their Chieftain would command.

"Alright, rogue, I will let you be welcome here among the Horde. However, you must work for me to gain trust."

"I understand," Vicente replied, glancing up to meet the orc's gaze.

"You will work in my scouting unit. I will put your skills to use," Thrall commanded. Vicente had no problem with the assignment. He just needed allies that weren't in league with Arthas. "You know you are not the only undead to approach me today. It seems that the Lich King is losing followers and now a female elf named Slyvanas Windrunner of Quel'Thalas is rising in power and adding to the Horde forces. I have heard she is a great military power and is strong-willed. So know that that had a part in my trusting you."

"Yes, War Chief, I understand." The rogue responded, bringing his head down to bow in respect. Thrall waved his hand to signal that Vicente was allowed to leave, watching him rise and walk out calmly. Once out of the Warchief's chamber, Vicente went to work to look into replacing his armor for that fit for a rogue. He hurried to the Auction House and merchant area to sell his current armor before more Death Knights showed and tried the same which would drop the value.

* * *

The orders were to do a thorough sweep of the Plaguelands to look for any troops from the Scarlet Crusade, Arthas, or refugees before they joined either side against them. They began by searching through the southern half, finding a tomb where troll zombies roamed but seemed to pose no initial threat. They mindlessly wandered around the area, paying no real mind to the mercenaries unless they got too close. Moving on they approached a lake, seeing an abandoned town to the west of it to which the main road cut straight through. Vicente's breath caught in his throat as he realized where they were. His hometown, laid to waste, leaving no signs of life except for ghouls and ghosts. After clearing out some of the undead, they decided to move on not seeing any real signs of life. Vicente, who was now adorned in full Bloodfang armor, looked at the charred remains of his home, staring down at the debris with sorrow. He looked behind him to see the broken remains of the house he had been thrown into, remembering the feeling of Arthas' hand around his throat. Rubbing his throat gently, he finally turned to follow his group out the north exit of the town, feeling the troll hunter stare at him a little before continuing on. As they continued on down the road passing Blackwood Lake to find it mainly dried up, the river long since dead.

"This place has taken such a toll," Vicente murmured, urging his horse to follow the group. They continued traveling down the road, coming up to another dead town. Captain Mug'thal raised his hand to halt his men, looking over at the town. This one was silent, nothing seemed to be there at all, even ghouls, which was what caught his eye. Looking back at the others, the orc captain motioned for them to spread out and look around.

"What is this place?"

"I believe this was once called Northdale. Alliance humans used to live here but the reports say Arthas and his forces 'cleansed' it and now it's a dead town as you can see," Captain Mug'thal said. "We're to check for survivors and eliminate them before they either rejoin their Alliance forces or, if desperate, join the Scarlet Crusade." All but Vicente nodded as the captain signaled for them to get to work. "Move out."

"Sir, I thought we were merely a scout group," Vicente protested slightly, not wanting to get on the orc captain's bad side. Mug'thal turned to him, his face stern.

"We are more like mercenaries, Vicente. Now get to work," he responded. The rogue's brow creased in stress as he stealthed and walked away. The sound of screams and crying soon filled the air as the humans were dragged from their hiding places and were slaughtered in cold blood.

"Hey, boss, look at dis one," Kuto, the troll hunter, called from the porch of a nearby house. Mug'thal walked into the building looking where Kuto had pointed to find a dark haired woman who was curled up in the corner, crying quietly in her sleep. "Dis one is pregnant. See?" It was then that the orc noticed the girl had her arm around her stomach protectively. "Do ya still want meh ta kill 'er?"

"Yes, we leave no one. Do it," he ordered. The troll grimaced but proceeded to do as told, drawing back his bow. As he released the arrow a flash of dark red zipped by them, a thin figure appearing between the two and the woman. "Vicente!" the orc bellowed, "What are you doing?!" The arrow had found its way into the rogue's right shoulder, saving the slumbering girl. Angered, Mug'thal strode up, grabbing the arrow and pushing it further into his shoulder causing him to yelp in pain. "What is the meaning of this, soldier?" the captain demanded. Once the orc let go, Vicente ripped the arrow out, throwing it angrily to the ground.

"You can't kill her," he answered. He shot a glance at Kuto to make sure he didn't set up for another shot. His firey blue eyes shifted back to the orc, knowing full well that he wasn't going to let this go easy. Sure enough, the orc waltzed up and without thinking twice, clamped his hand onto the rogue's injured shoulder, digging his thumb into the wound. Startled, the undead let out a scream of pain, waking up the human behind him.

"Mmm.. Vicente…," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. The two Horde went wide eyed, looking between the human and the undead. As Mug'thal let go, Vicente knelt down grabbing his arm. The orc peered down at him, still holding his angered tone.

"Send her away. We'll talk later," he demanded, that 'you're in trouble' tone in his voice.

"Y-yessir," Vicente choked out. Kuto trailed behind his captain as they walked away. The undead took a deep breath, willing the pain to subside as he climbed to his feet. He turned to his poor beloved, now realizing the state she was in. Her clothes were tattered and he could see the shawl that he himself had given her still over her shoulders as she clung to it as if it was all she wore. Her shoes were gone and she was covered in dirt and ash from the fires. Another thing he noticed was that she looked very malnourished, making it hard to be sure when she had last eaten. Also her stomach was a little bigger then he'd remembered potentially helping him see that he may have been sleeping for quite some time. All the while he didn't realize that she was now frozen in terror staring at him. Her voice broke his trance.

"Please don't hurt me," she whispered. He could hear the weakness in her voice and it broke his heart,

"I won't hurt you," he replied just as softly, holding up his hands. "I promise. Now why are you here? Shouldn't you be finding a place to rest and get food? You look unwell." She tilted her head to the side in confusion. This Horde cared about her well being. Though something was nagging her about this one; something familiar.

"I'm waiting for my husband," she replied. "He'll come for me. I know it." Vicente closed his eyes and turned away slightly.

"How long has that been?"

"I'm not really sure, I've been wandering for so long. I think maybe four or five months, I guess. I have been moving from town to town now," came the dreaded response. The rogue sighed, feeling his hatred for Arthas grow.

'_She's been alone that long,' _he thought. "Well if it's been that long," he said, "maybe you shouldn't be waiting anymore."

"No, he'll come. I know it. He's not gone." Vicente's face went stern, wishing she would just find help and survive.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked, coldly, hoping she would lose hope and fend for herself. She began playing with her hair, a warm look gracing her features.

"I feel him," she breathed. His head jerked up and he spun around to fully face her. She carefully climbed to her feet, dusting herself off as best she could. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's crazy. I don't know what it is but I just feel like you are easy to talk to." The undead's face showed sorrow as she brushed her hair behind her ear like she always did. "It's strange," she murmured softly. Both jumped as a booming voice called out in anger.

"Rogue, let's move!" Vicente made a face, turning back to his bride.

"Your hiding place has been discovered. You should find a village and take care of yourselves," he said, pointing to her tummy. She began rubbing it protectively, starting to protest.

"But I—"

"Don't you think your husband would want to find you safe and healthy?" the undead snapped, praying she would just give in and find help. Reluctantly, she nodded, her gaze wandering to the ground. "Good. Now go before my captain changes his mind." He had to fight the urge to give her a kiss so bad, it was eating away at him. Fixing her shawl, she hurried to the door, pausing in the doorway.

"Thank you," she whispered before running off. He watched as she hurried away in the direction of Light's Hope Chapel.

"You're welcome, Rozetta, my love."

* * *

Vicente hit the wall of the North Tower, his head smacking into the stone hard enough to make him dizzy. Captain Mug'thal paced around the empty tower, his arms behind his back.

"Ok, soldier, I want to hear everything. Convince me why I shouldn't hand you over to Thrall himself for disobeying me," he growled. He stopped his pacing, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, waiting. While rubbing the back of his head, the undead gave a heavy sigh and began his story of the night that changed everything for him. Once he was finished, Vicente looked up to find the orc had his eyes closed in thought. He was about to move closer to see if he could get a reaction when the orc's eyes snapped open.

"Ruma!"

"Yessir!" came a deep voice from behind the wall. The group had been listening in from outside behind the broken wall of the tower. The tauren druid rushed in to aid his captain, crossing his arm over his chest and bowing his head in respect.

"Patch him up. We're moving out," the orc ordered. Just before walking away, he got in Vicente's face, pointing. "You pull any of this rebel bullshit again and you're in trouble. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal… sir," the rogue replied.

* * *

Lukia Mistwind couldn't help but feel as though she was being watched, looking over her shoulder to see the hunter of the mercenary group looking at her. She steadied her Frostsaber, making it slow its pace for him to catch up. The white haired Night Elf male didn't realize this until she was almost right next to him.

"Pardon me, hunter," she began, moving a long strand of her white hair aside. He gave her a once over, looking over her uniform which were the Vestaments of Absolution which showed she was high ranking, bowing his head in respect.

"Yes, priestess?"

"I couldn't help but feel your gaze, good sir," she replied. The hunter, Mariuss, kept a straight face, realizing he'd been caught. However, he continued to play it off to keep out of trouble. He cleared his throat before speaking, catching the male and female Draenei in the group's attention.

"Just watching you as ordered. We are here to protect you, milady," he responded quickly. She made a face at the decent counter.

"I see. As you were then, I suppose," she said, catching up to the other two Elune priestesses. Mariuss gave a small sigh of relief, moving his white hair out of his eyes. His relieved look turned into a scowl as he could practically feel the dark blue haired Night Elf near him smiling. The Terrorblade clad rogue came up beside him, a feral grin on his features. Mariuss could feel his pink skin tint red.

"What?" he hissed, "Kurai, don't you say a word."

"I would imagine I wouldn't have to at this point, 'good sir'," Kurai teased, adjusting his Cursed Vision. Mariuss moved his head so his long, white hair hid his face. Anyone who knew Kurai knew that he was usually quiet but Mariuss was his best friend. "Heh. Knock it off, Mariuss. You looked silly trying to hide."

"Fine," the hunter sighed, adjusting his quiver. Behind them, they heard the female Draenei shaman named Aurora giggle as she moved her short, white hair out of her eyes.

"Men are silly," she said softly. Beside her, Vladamir, the male Draenei paladin, made a face, glancing at her.

"Now, now, not all males are the same, you know. You shouldn't group," he said scolding her. She giggled once more. Marius noticed that the rogue had grown quiet, glancing over to see a serious look on his face. "Kurai?" The blue haired elf urged his Frostsaber to speed up, getting in front of the priestesses and motioning them to stop.

"What is it, Master Rogue?" the head priestess, Salene inquired. Kurai motioned for her to stay silent, looking around the vacant town before them: Corin's Crossing. Kurai turned to Vlad and Aurora, dismounting.

"Stay with them. Mariuss, let's check it out," he said, drawing his WarGlaives. Nodding, the hunter jumped off his own tiger, letting out a sharp whistle to call his pet, Lynx, a black with white stripes.

"So what do you think?" Mariuss asked, walking up beside the rogue.

"It's too quiet. Reports showed this place was crawling with Scourge. I expected us to have to go around," Kurai replied, still looking about. "We should probably still do that. I don't like how this looks." He turned to Vlad, pointing towards the outskirts of town. "Take them along the lake. I'll take Mariuss and Zyeal and we'll meet you on the other side."

"Very well," the male Draenei replied, nodding, "but do be careful."

"See you on the other side," Mariuss said, sending Lynx to check some of the abandoned houses. Vlad turned to the group of priestesses.

"Ladies, if you would," he said, leading them away. The three Night Elf males began scouting the ghost town.

* * *

About five minutes later, a loud shriek was heard in the direction of the lake causing the three Night Elves to jump up in alarm. Just as they were to start to head over, the ground rumbled, ghoulish limbs breaking through the dirt.

"It's an ambush!" Zyeal yelled, lifting his two-handed sword, Zin'rohk – Destroyer of Worlds, up in defense. Mariuss cast Volley, a rain of arrows showering down upon the emerging zombies.

"We have to regroup! There's too many of them! Kurai!" the hunter yelled, looking over to see the rogue slash a few of the ghouls down. Kurai glanced at Mariuss, nodding in agreement.

"Right, let's move!"

"Lynx!" Mariuss called as he cast Aspect of the Pack. The three dashed through the town, knocking down zombies as they rushed passed. Once they broke through to the outskirts they saw Vlad attacking a group of Scrouge with his mighty Hammer of the Naaru. A little further off, Aurora the shaman was fending off zombies, keeping Lady Salene safe.

"Someone help me! Please!" cried Reena from the lake. They looked in time to see the Night Elf female attempt to escape from the water to only have the elemental behind her grab her with its watery grip and pull her back under. Zyeal raced over, jumping in to grab her. Mariuss loaded up three arrows, landing them in what should have been the monster's face, if it had one. Reena broke free, feeling herself being dragged out of the water by the warrior.

"Are you alright, Lady Reena," he asked, pulling her to her feet. He noticed her face tinge pink from being so close.

"Y-yes. Thank you so much," she replied, coughing a bit and trying to catch her breath. She began wringing out her hair, squeezing whatever water she could from the aqua strands.

"Where is Lukia?" she asked, looking around. A low growl caught the group's attention, looking to see a swarm of zombies dragging their feet towards them.

"Mariuss," Kurai shot a glance at the hunter, "Find the other priestess. Go now." Nodding, the white haired male whistled for his fellow pet to follow him.

* * *

Lukia scrambled to her feet, two skeletal mages close at her heels. She renewed PW: Shield as they continued to throw frostbolts at her to slow her down. Taking a quick glance around, she ran into the abandoned inn, hurrying to the back and down the stairs into the cellar. She hid behind one of the large hollowed out kegs, kneeling and began tending to the wound to her stomach. A large gash was made across her tummy, tearing her dark blue gown and soaking it with blood. Unfortunately for her it was the scent of blood that kept the ghouls aware of her presence. She began casting a heal, feeling the wound begin to close slowly. A sickly moan caused her to look up quickly to see the skeletal mages had found her, causing her to let out a scream. One of them reached its boney hand out, grasping her forearm and yanking her up forcefully. Out of panic, she cast Physic Scream to no avail as the second mage grabbed her other arm, clawing at it.

"No! Let go!" the priestess screamed, trying to free herself. Suddenly, the second mage went down being pounced by a black tiger with white strips, its jaws clasping over its boney neck. Lukia felt her freed arm being grabbed firmed by the wrist. The first mage, seeing the intruder, let the girl go to power up a frostbolt only to have the tiger jump him too. Lukia felt her wrist being pulled, the person twisting her around to face them. The priestess bumped into their armored chest, looking up to see the hunter. A wave of relief washed over her, causing her to release tears while burying her head in his chest. "Thank you," she cried out, leaning into him. Startled, Mariuss cautiously wrapped one arm around her waist.

"Lady Lukia?" He could feel her shaking in his embrace, causing him to frown. "Milady, are you alright? Everything is going to be ok now. I'm here," he whispered softly in her ear. He could feel her calm down, than she seemed to go limp in his arms. "Milady!?" He looked down at her to see she had fainted. It was then once he pulled her away from himself that he saw all the blood. "Oh no.. Lady Lukia? Milady!?" He laid her down on his cloak as he proceeded to inspect her wounds. The gash across her stomach was only half healed and her right arm was sliced up from the mages boney claws. "Lynx, go and get the others. Please hurry," he told the tiger. The creature purred in acknowledgement and dashed out of the old inn, leaving her master behind. Mariuss pulled out some bandages, leaning the girl up against himself as he wrapped her torso, her head resting on his shoulder. He could hear her breathing in his ear and her whimpers when he was wrapping too tight.

"…riuss…," she murmured, causing the hunter to pause. Finished with her tummy, Mariuss laid her down again and began working on her arm.

* * *

The abomination fell back, a large bloody wound from the top of his right shoulder going down diagonally across his body, taking him out. Kurai flicked his blades out fast, the blood from them splattering the ground. Looking back, he saw the group tending to wounds, seeing that the zombies had retreated. Holstering his swords, the rogue looked towards the direction of the town, hoping to see his friend, only to spot Lynx running up to them. Kneeling as the tiger reached him, Kurai pet the creature, asking her where Mariuss was. Giving a growl and shaking its head towards the inn, she turned and pranced back towards where she came from, urging him to follow.

"Stay here," Kurai commanded, looking at the others before turning to follow Lynx. The tiger raced to the door of the inn, looking back at the rogue. Suddenly, Mariuss appeared at the door with Lukia in his arms, his cloak wrapped around her to cover her. "Mariuss, is everything ok?"

"She just needs healing. She has a nasty wound on her torso, other then that she only fainted. Is everyone else ok?"

"Yeah, we should get moving though in case they come back. We shouldn't be too far from Light's Hope Chapel," the rogue replied, urging the hunter to follow him. Lynx purred at her master's feet, happy to see everything was ok again. The two males walked back over to the group, seeing the other priestesses run up to Mariuss, crying out their companion's name in worry.

"She'll be ok, ladies. She could use some heals, but she'll be fine," Mariuss said laying the girl down for them to tend to. The other mercenaries walked up, listening to their leader as he began to go over what they were to do next.

"Well, after they are done helping her, we should keep moving," the rogue pointed northeast, "I believe there should be a scar like the one we saw before this town. If we go along it, on the other side should be the Chapel. We should really go around the west side though because there are reports that Tyr's Hand has Scarlet troops and I don't want to chance us running into them." At their feet, Lukia's eyes fluttered open as she leaned up, looking around like she was lost.

"W-where am I? What happened?" she murmured as Reena hugged her.

"Mariuss saved you in the inn, Milady. You are safe now," Vlad said. Mariuss turned his eyes away in embarrassment, knowing Vlad was setting him up for something.

"It was nothing. Glad to be of assistance," the hunter replied. She looked down at herself, seeing her dress torn and her wounds wrapped up. Mariuss looked at the rogue once more, changing the subject, "So we head northwest then?"

"We should be sure to keep an eye out for the Courier, I hear he makes his rounds in that area. However, it would certainly be better then running into an entire fort of troops," Vlad said. Aurora leaned down to help the priestesses to their feet, watching them dust themselves off. Lukia wrapped the cloth she had around herself, wondering where it came from. It was then she noticed the hunter's cloak was missing. She buried her face into the cloth, a small smile on her face.

"Are you going to be ok, Lukia?" Salene asked, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder gently. The white haired elf nodded, walking to show she was fine, provoking the group to begin traveling once again. They followed the road which curved northwest, soon finding the beginning of the scar that Kurai had mentioned before. Lukia walked up next to the hunter once again, glancing at him occasionally until he finally looked at her.

"Yes, Milady?" She took off the cloak, holding it out to him, bowing her head slightly.

"You have my thanks, sir Mariuss, I am indebted to you," she said as he took the cloth, resting it over his arm.

"It's nothing," he replied, shaking his head, "Are you feeling better now that you have been treated?" She nodded, looking away nervously. She turned her head back quickly, about to say something when Mariuss raised a hand near her, a sign for her to wait a moment. "Shh, you hear that?" She looked around, her ears twitching as she listened around them. The hunter ran ahead, the rest of the group calling to him, wondering what was wrong. As he ran, Mariuss heard the noise clearer and clearer. It was a human woman crying, whimpering for help. He ran up to see her trying to run away from a plague bat, trying to swat the large winged beast away from her. This one is particular was the largest he'd ever seen, having heard some folks at one of the previous towers speaking of it. She fell to her knees, covering her head as the bat tried to scratch at her. Mariuss raised his Bow of the Black Betrayer, sending an arrow to land straight through the creature's head, killing it instantly. Hearing the arrow's thud, the human looked up and around, her tired expression making Mariuss feel that she was at her limits. He ran over to her, leaning down near her slowly to not startle her further.

"Please… help…" she whispered weakly. Mariuss helped her up, seeing she was pregnant, her long, black hair no longer covering her from when she had leaned forward.

"Mariuss! Mariuss, where are you!?" Kurai yelled. Lynx came running up, circling her master and sniffing at the human in curiosity. Coming out from behind the rock structure near the road, Kurai looked around running towards them as fast as he could, bringing his WarGlaives up to block a Scarlet soldier's arrows from hitting the pair. "It's the Courier!" Behind the scout was a soldier on horseback with three other soldiers at the horse's feet, all with their eyes turned towards the two Night Elves with the human woman. From where Kurai ran up, Zyeal peered his head around, seeing the Scarlet soldiers nearby. Turning back behind him, Zyeal yelled back to warn the rest of the group before running up beside Kurai to help defend. Lynx jumped between the two male Elves, her fur standing up as she leaned down and growled at their enemy. The Courier raised his sword, pointing it at the Elves, ordering the other soldiers to attack them. Aurora raced up in Ghost Wolf, jumping out of the spell while throwing down a flame totem to summon her elemental to aid them. Mariuss reached down, lifting the dark haired woman up into his arms, being careful of her stomach. She clutched around his neck, using the shawl she had to cover herself as best she could from her tattered gown. Behind Aurora, Vlad and the priestesses ran up, seeing the Scarlet soldiers let loose another round of arrows. Kurai stealthed after the arrows were knocked away, going around to jump the Courier.

"Mariuss, come over here!" Aurora yelled, sending a lava blast out at them. The hunter ran to the rest of the group while the warrior and Lynx defended him. The priestesses looked over the human girl, beginning to heal her while Mariuss covered her with his cloak.

"What is your name?" Salene asked while casting Heal. The human peered up at the Elves, a feeling of warmth coming over her.

"R-Rozetta," she murmured, leaning against Mariuss, "I'm so tired, been alone for.. so long… waiting for…" she fell asleep, lulled by the warmth of the healing wave. Lukia peered at her exhausted look before glancing up at the Courier upon hearing him cry out. Kurai had snuck up behind him, jumping him and knocking him off his horse to the cold, hard ground. Pointing one of his Glaives in the human man's face he looked at the other soldier's demanding they surrender their weapons and cease their assault. The men did as they were told, the shaman coming up to stand between them and the weapons. Zyeal came up behind them, blocking their chance at running away.

"Any ideas what we should do with them," the warrior asked, bracing in case one of them tried anything to escape.

"Personally, I think we should slaughter them all," Kurai hissed, "We gain nothing by letting them go." The humans began moving around nervously. Vladamire walked up beside the rogue, looking down at the horrified Courier.

"Perhaps it would be wise to hand them over to the Argent Dawn. Killing them outright like this would be to sink to their level," he replied.

"Aurora, get the ropes from the pack. We'll escort them to the Chapel. Be sure to keep your eyes on them," Kurai responded, holstering his weapons and turning away from his prey, knowing Vlad would keep an eye on him for him. The shaman ran to do what she was told. In the distance, the Horde scout party watched the whole situation, keeping their gaze on the Night Elf rogue.

"He seems to be the leader of this group. Not sure if it's wise to be here," Mug'thal murmured softly from their hiding spot behind the rock and hills. Vicente kept his gaze on his wife, seeing the priestesses continue to heal her. She looked so peaceful sleeping in the hunter's arms. It calmed him knowing she was finally no longer alone, in the safety of good people. Ruma looked over at the orc captain.

"Should we get moving, then," he asked, going into cat form. Mug'thal held up a hand telling him to wait as he strained to listen in on the Alliance group's conversation. The female Draenei finished tying the humans, connecting them in a line so they could drag them along in a line. She turned to the rogue, resting a hand on her hip.

"We're all set now, Kurai," she said, her elemental behind her dancing around with having nothing to do now. She raised her flame totem, returning the elemental to rest. The rogue turned back, pleased to see the Scarlet troops secured.

"Kurai. I think I heard about that rogue," Mug'thal whispered before looking at his group, "Ok, we can go now. We need to scout the area west of here then report back to Thrall. Let's move." Ruma and Kuto followed Mug'thal while Vicente kept his gaze on the group, trying to hear what they were doing next, hearing the warrior say Light's Hope to the rogue before they began heading northeast along the scar, dragging the Scarlet troops with them. "Vicente, move yer ass now," the captain hissed behind him. Vicente did as he was told, not wanting to anger his commanding officer any further then he already had.

* * *

Hotaru Shidosha ~


	3. Light's Hope

I was motivated to post the next chapter seeing how it got nearly 600 views on DeviantART. I only wish more people would comment. Views isn't quite the same with literature as it is with visual art. Still I am going to post this chapter and hope I can hear your thoughts on it. I keep forgetting I had this typed up over a year ago so when I glance through this part I feel a little blah about it but I don't want to mess too much with it in fear of screwing something up. It gets better as it goes on so that's good enough for me. I can't believe I had this for so long D:

Anyone interested in seeing images for the characters or reading their info visit my DeviantART page under the name "HotaruShidosha"

* * *

Chapter 3 - Light's Hope

Aurora tugged on the rope, urging the Scarlet troops to move faster while Zyeal and Vlad shoved them along. Ahead of them, Kurai lead them along the scar, the Chapel coming into view in the distance. At the back of the group, the Elune priestesses walked alongside the hunter, keeping an eye on the frail human in his arms. As they approached the Chapel, the innkeeper appeared at the door, the human woman greeting them warmly.

"Hello there, I'm Jessica Chambers. What can I do for you this evening?" She said, moving her brunette hair aside. She walked down the two steps, fixing her pink dress when she reached the bottom. Kurai gave a small bow, gesturing towards his group behind him.

"We come to escort these Darnassian priestesses who were sent to aid you. We also have some prisoners we interjected during our travels here. They are soldiers from the Scarlet who are residing in Tyr's Hand." Mariuss walked to the front of the group, making sure Rozetta was seen. "We also ran into this human here who was being attacked, we hope to find her shelter from the harsh environment." Jessica looked over the group before bowing her head slightly, moving aside to let them inside. Mariuss and the priestesses walked in while Kurai waited to see what was to be done about the soldiers.

"Give me a moment, Master Rogue, I will send out Lord Barthalomew to assist you," the innkeeper replied, turning to follow the Elves. A moment later, an undead warrior emerged from the Chapel, looking over the Scarlet troops. Suddenly, the undead pulled out a dagger, grabbing one of the soldiers and slicing his throat open causing the other soldiers to jump in alarm.

"So then," he began, looking up from the one he killed to the others, "who wants to tell me about what they are doing at Tyr's Hand?" The troops looked at each other then back at the undead, making no noise at all. He walked in front of them looking over to see which one would be weak willed enough to give him what he needed. The first one he walked by merely glared at him so he looked behind the soldier at Zyeal, signaling him to kill this one. Giving a glance to Kurai who nodded, Zyeal stabbed the man through the chest, letting him drop to the ground. "My name is Leonid Barthalomew," he stated to the Scarlet, "I am ordering you to give me information on what is going on at Tyr's Hand." Once again, the men stood silent showing that they weren't going to be provoked into giving any details. He pointed at the two lower soldiers, then to the Courier. "Kill these two and leave him chained up over here, if anyone will know anything it will be him. I don't have time for these fools to play stupid," the undead said walking away towards the dwarf who had a cart near the Horde flight keeper. Kurai grabbed the Courier, cutting his rope away from the other soldiers while Vlad and Zyeal killed the other two. Leonid walked back up, pointing back towards the dwarf he was just speaking to. "Load them up on his cart, he will take care of them for us," he said. He then looked at the Courier then to Kurai, "You come with me and we shall see how chatty this one is now. The rest of you are free to go after," he said. Kurai looked over at his group.

"Go on and check on Mariuss. I'll take care of this," he replied, gripping the Courier's arm tight causing the man to yelp in pain. Inside, the others rested Rozetta on a blanket on the floor near the back of the Chapel. Jessica brought a pillow over, resting it under her head.

"How far along is she?"

"We don't know, we found her just before we reached here," Mariuss responded. Reena kneeled down beside the pregnant woman, resting her hand on her forehead.

"Either way she needs more medical attention. She looks as though she hasn't been eating well lately. Is there anything here we can give her?" Salene replied, looking at the innkeeper. Jessica pointed outside.

"There is one of the venders outside who sells bread and fruit out here. I'll go get her some water," she replied, hurrying away. Salene ran out to retrieve food for her while Lukia sat on the ground near Rozetta's head.

"I wonder what happened to her," Lukia murmured, watching Rozetta's face contort in her sleep.

"Where are…. Vicente…. Don't go…" the black haired woman mumbled in her sleep induced daze. She clutched at the black shawl she still had around her, crying in her sleep. Jessica returned with a jug of water, leaning down to help give her some while Reena lifted her up a bit. Once the water touched her lips, Rozetta stirred, reaching out to grasp the container while she drank.

"Drink it slowly. Be careful," Reena murmured. Rozetta did as she was told, finally looking around at them once she was more lively.

"Where am I? What is this place?" she asked, rubbing her stomach protectively.

"This is Light's Hope Chapel. Where are you from?" Jessica asked. Rozetta looked around the Chapel some more before finally setting her gaze on the Elves. Behind them leaning against the wall, Mariuss listened in, his ears twitching as he waited.

"I lived in Corin's Crossing. Something happened sometime ago before all the vegetation died. Someone assaulted our town and I became separated from my husband," she began crying, bringing her hands to her face, "He promised me he would come for me. Something must have happened. Vicente, where are you?" She buried her face into her hands, breaking into sobs while Reena hugged her gently, rocking her back and forth to calm her. Jessica glanced at the others in thought.

"Have you been alone this whole time? That was a couple months ago."

"Y-yes. Last place I was in was Northdale but some Horde found me and sent me away. They told me to go this way to find this place. But there are so many strange creatures here. Everywhere I went something tried attacking me and I can't do much else but run. Then this young man saved me," she said pointing to Mariuss who remained still. Salene came back in, carrying some apples and bread in a small basket. Coming up beside the group, she leaned down making the food available to the human woman. Breaking away from Reena gently, Rozetta leaned down and grabbed one of the rolls nervously, nibbling on it. "Thank you," she whispered. Aurora, Vlad, and Zyeal walked in, moving near Mariuss to talk about what happened outside.

"Rozetta, how far along are you?"

"I should be due soon," she replied softly. "Maybe a couple of weeks I guess."

"Maybe when the group goes back they can take her to a city. She needs medical treatment," Salene said to the other priestesses. Lukia watched the human continue eating, watching her gain strength.

* * *

Outside, Kurai and Leonid dragged the Courier towards the east side of the Chapel's area, dragging him to the outskirts. After at least half a mile, they came upon an area with various hills, in the distance Tyr's Hand could be seen. Leonid stopped, holding a hand up to make the rogue halt. He turned and pointed to a tree nearby, lifting up the rope in his hand.

"This is far enough. Let's tie him up here," the undead said, walking up to the nearest tree. Kurai pulled the Courier over slamming the human against the tree and holding him still while Leonid tied him up. Once finished, both men stood back, looking up to see the Courier's face which showed fear and nervousness. "So you feeling a little more inclined to sharing some information? Or should we dismember you and leave you here for your comrades to find. I'm sure your stench will reach them in no time." Kurai glanced at the undead, wondering what he could have been through to make it so easy for him to be this harsh against these men. The Courier glanced around where they were as if figuring out how far away they were from his allies. "Go ahead and scream. The rogue and I will just kill you, I can always find someone else to tell me what I need."

"I'm not very patient either," Kurai said crossing his arms over his chest, "so you better decide quickly." They watched him take a deep breath, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"I'll never tell you anything. Nothing you do will make me talk," he said. Leonid pulled out his dagger, walking up and cutting off the man's pinky finger, covering the man's mouth as he screamed. Kurai turned his head away, hearing Leonid ask the man again, saying his whole hand could be next. Kurai heard him mumble that he wasn't going to say anything, hearing him cry out as Leonid severed his hand as promised. Again he denied giving the undead what he wanted, a series of screams being let loose until the man finally died. Kurai looked back over to find the Courier's stomach sliced open with his insides falling out. Beside him, Leonid cleaned off his dagger, turning back to the rogue.

"Let's get moving. The scouts will be here soon to find him," he said walking passed him. Giving one last glance at the dead Courier, Kurai followed the undead back to Light's Hope.

* * *

Rozetta was now asleep on the blankets that were provided to her after finally eating and drinking her fill. Outside, the Elune priestess were tending to the soldiers and scouts that were resting near the Quartermaster. Mariuss was outside as well, leaned up against the wall of the Chapel while watching the white haired priestess, Lukia. Her dressed was now sewn up and she had more energy then she did before. Nearby, Lynx was playfully chasing a squirrel, stopping when almost reaching the outskirts of the Chapel, knowing her master would scold her if she wandered too far. In the distance, Kurai returned with Leonid, the group walking up to their leader to discuss what they would be doing next now that the priestesses were at the Chapel.

"Is that human girl ok?" Kurai asked, glancing at the undead warrior as he walked back into the Chapel.

"Yes, she is fine now," Aurora said, moving her hair from her face with her other hand on her hip, "But they want us to take her with us. They tell us that she needs medical treatment that the priestesses can't provide. She's due to give birth soon."

"What were we to do once we were finished," Zyeal asked.

"We were done after that. That's all we were hired for," Kurai responded, bringing his hand up to his chin in thought. Vlad heaved his Hammer over his shoulder, leaning in near the others.

"Well, then I must bid you farewell, my friends. Miss Aurora and I were to return to Exodar once this mission was completely over. Lord Valen required our assistance when we were finished," he replied. He turned to the shaman, bowing his head, "Shall we be off, my dear?" She nodded in response, bowing to the Elven males before following the paladin. Zyeal looked back from the Draenei to the rogue, seeing his face.

"What's wrong? Something happen before," he asked. Kurai glanced at him a moment before looking back where he and the undead came from.

"That undead just surprised me with how vicious he is. He tore that Courier apart. He's currently tied to a tree with his limbs and guts at his feet." Zyeal's face paled, not expecting an answer like that. Seeing his reaction, the rogue just nodded, shaking his head. "Anyway, maybe we should head back to at least South Shore. From there we can get that woman to Ironforge perhaps. Or maybe from Menethil we could go to Darnassas. Either case, staying here poses no benefit to us. We should grab Mariuss and go," the rogue said. They looked back seeing the hunter's gaze on the elf girl named Lukia. The two Elves looked at each other a moment before peering back at their hunter friend. Mariuss pushed off the wall, walking up behind Lukia who was healing a human soldier who was sleeping. Distracted with her work, she failed to notice him sneak right up behind her, peering down at what she was doing. She jumped, squeaking and placing a hand over her chest in shock.

"Oh dear, sir Mariuss, you startled me," she exclaimed, glancing up at him. He mumbled an apology, kneeling down on his heels beside her, having Lynx come up out nowhere rubbing into him, wanting to be pet. Lukia giggled as the tiger continued purring and coaxing her master to pet her head.

"Lynx, knock it off," he murmured, trying not to fall over. Lukia reached over, patting the tiger on the head, grabbing her attention and watching her curled beside her.

"Hard to believe this is a hunter's pet. More like a house cat," Lukia said with a smile. Mariuss made a face, knowing exactly what she meant. Lynx would get the job done but when nothing was threatening her or her master it was hard to believe this same tiger would kill you in an instant.

"Yeah, she's funny like that," he replied, giving in and petting her as well, "but I wouldn't have anyone else."

"Hey, Mariuss," Zyeal called, waving him over. The hunter stood, looking down at Lukia, bowing his head slightly, "Excuse me." He walked over, seeing both the males trying to stifle a laugh. He glared at them both, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting. Zyeal coughed to clear his throat, "We're moving out. Kurai thinks we can bring the woman to either Ironforge or Darnassus."

"Well, I don't think there is anything we need to do in the direction of Ironforge so we may as well bring her to Darnassus," Mariuss replied.

"I suppose you're right. Well then, let's gather what supplies we need and get moving," Kurai said. Mariuss raised a hand to stop him, the rogue pausing.

"That woman is sleeping right now. Did you want to wake her or should we wait?" Kurai thought a moment.

"I guess we could wait," he said, "Well start gathering what we need then." Mariuss and Zyeal bowed their heads, walking off to do as told. Lukia bowed her head to the man she just healed, turning and walking right into the hunter.

"Oh dear, I'm sor—ry," she froze a bit upon seeing who it was, a slight blush coming across her face. "Sorry," she murmured again a little quieter. He looked her over, a slight blush creeping over his own face.

"It's ok."

"So, sir Mariuss, now that—"

"Please, call me Mariuss," he interjected, earning a smile from her.

"Ok, Mariuss. Anyway, now that your mission is completed, won't you be staying with us or is something more pressing requiring your assistance?"

"No, I think after we restock we are leaving. How long were you to stay here to assist the Argent Dawn?" he asked, moving his hair behind his ear. She looked back towards Lady Salene a moment before turning back.

"I think until Milady says so," she said, "So I guess no telling when that may be." She noticed that he frowned slightly as if disappointed. "Is something wrong?" He glanced at her a moment, his face reddening further. She giggled at his look of embarrassment, making him cross his arms while pouting. In the distance near the venders, Kurai and Zyeal watched the pair.

"Looks like someone has a crush," the warrior said. Kurai nodded, turning to the vender to hand him the proper payment for the food they purchased. Nodding his thank you he turned back to the warrior.

"I know how he feels though," he replied.

"Yeah, where is Hotaru anyway?"

"She had a mission she was given just before we were given this one so that's why she couldn't come with. She was sent to spy on the enemy activity in Deadwind Pass for King Varian." Kurai paused a moment in thought, "I hope everything is ok for her." Zyeal laughed, taping the rogue's arm in reassurance.

"Knowing her, she's fine. She can be silly but when it comes to work she's serious." Kurai bit his lip, nodding.

"Yeah, you're right. And yes, she can be very silly indeed," he replied, "Well this should be enough for our trip. I think when we get to Menethil I may head south instead of going back to Darnassus. I want to see if Hotaru will be in Stormwind by the time I get there."

"Why are you going to Stormwind?" Mariuss asked, walking up.

"To find Hotaru. She was sent to Deadwind Pass," Zyeal replied. The hunter nodded to himself, thinking.

"So is that where we are headed then? To Stormwind?"

"Yeah, may as well all go. We're not gonna leave our boss here to himself. Might get hurt," Zyeal joked with a grin on his face. Kurai threw his head back, letting out a deep laugh.

"Yeah, ok," he said, "Well let's get moving then. Let's go get the human woman." In the distance, Lukia watched them from behind a tree, listening in.

* * *

~ Hotaru Shidosha


	4. Deadwind

Chapter 4 is here :3

Got a couple people who have been adding it to their alerts and fav lists. :D Am looking forward to some comments too. They make me ever so happy hehe.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Deadwind

Hotaru Shidosha rode through the chasm that was known as Deadwind Pass, her Frostsaber leisurely making its way down the path. As she continued down at a steady pace, she looked over the charts given to her by King Varian himself. He wanted her to scout the area in the south of the Pass, hearing rumors of activity near Karazhan. Above her head, vultures eyed her, thinking they had a chance at seeing her in a few days for dinner. The large birds rested on the dead limbs of the trees that lined the side of the road, stretching their wings. The Vancleef's Battlegear clad rogue turned her head at the sound of a twig snapping, making sure she wasn't being watched or followed. Coming up to a fork in the road, Hotaru gazed down at her maps once more before urging her Frostsaber to turn right. Again she heard rustling, causing her to look around and find nothing but the birds above her. This noise came from the ground level though; from someone moving along the road and perhaps hiding behind the dead trees. Her hand moved to her Talon of Azshara on her hip while her other hand kept a good grip on the reins, bracing for a surprise attack of any kind. Moving down the trail she came across what looked like a small home of ogres who were too busy munching on their dinner to pay her any mind. Pressing on, she moved around the corner to see the entrance of Karazhan, a series of broken, empty houses before it. Dismounting her Frostsaber, Hotaru let the beast stop near the top of the hill where it moved under a tree and laid down to rest, knowing she wouldn't be there too long. Stealthing and keeping to the shadows, she walked down the hill towards the castle, keeping an eye out for any movement. To the right she saw a small stream and on the other side was a building that was attached to the tower. Again she heard a noise, the soft of leaves rustling and crunching as if under someone's boot. Ducking behind one of the broken houses while still stealthed, she peered over at where the noise came from seeing a cloaked figure standing before the entrance to the castle, looking around before opening the door and walking in.

"Who the hell is that?" Hotaru whispered to herself. Suddenly, her ears twitched as she heard a slight noise behind her, causing her to turn in time to get nailed in the face, knocking her down to the ground. The figure leaned down, grabbing her by her arm and yanking her up. Her head rolled back as the stranger spun her to lock their arm around her head, cutting off her air supply. Franticly she clawed at their arm, their cloak covering most of their body, making it hard to identify them as her world grew dark. She fainted from the lack of air, going limp in the person's arms. Scooping her up, the stranger carried the female rogue towards Karazhan where the first cloaked figure waited while holding the door open.

* * *

The mercenary group arrived at South Shore, walking up to the inn while Zyeal went to talk to the wharf master. The other two elves guided the pregnant human, now dressed in a light blue dress with her black shawl over her shoulders, into the inn, finding her a seat to rest. After settling her down, Mariuss walked to the barkeep, ordering some water and bread for them. Kurai leaned his Warglaives against the wall beside them, sitting across from the woman, pulling out a map, laying it across the table to look it over.

"We'll probably bring you to Stormwind, Rozetta. Ironforge is ok, but I think Stormwind will be able to take better care of you," he said without looking up. She leaned back in the chair she was in, playing with her hair nervously. She had never been out this far in a very long time, having lived with Vicente for so long in the Plaguelands. Everything north had changed so drastically from when the corruption swept through. She glanced around the inn, looking around at the other people wondering if they had to deal with the horror that had stolen her home and husband from her. Kurai peered up at her, seeing her eyes wandering. "Rozetta?" She looked at him, waiting for him to speak. "Are you ok with going to Stormwind?"

"I guess so," she whispered, looking around again. He sighed, rubbing his temple as Mariuss came back to the table carrying the food and drink. The hunter gave Kurai a face, wondering what was wrong. "I've not been to a city in a very long time."

"Well, I'm just suggesting it because it's a majority of humans there and they will have better care for you," he said leaning back in his seat. Mariuss grinned while sitting down.

"Yeah, haha, a dwarf will probably give you mead to heal you," he chuckled, taking a swig of his drink. He leaned over, giving the woman some bread and water. "They have fruit if you want, Miss Rozetta." She shook her head, thanking him for the meal. As she began eating quietly, Mariuss turned back to the rogue, offering him some food. Kurai shook his head, picking up the map again. Zyeal walked in through the door, finding the group and sitting across from the hunter, leaning back enough to be on two legs of the chair. As soon as he did that, Kurai put the map down, jerking forward as if he was about to do something to the warrior, causing him to bring the chair back down.

"I told you next time you do that I was gonna knock you down," Kurai said, bringing the map up again while eyeing him. The warrior merely grinned, waving at him innocently. "So what's going on about the boat?"

"They said it'll be here soon. Should take a few hours to get to Menethil," Zyeal said, grabbing a piece of bread from Mariuss. "Then we can take the griffins to Ironforge and then the tram to Stormwind. Definitely a much easier trip then the one we just made up north." The other two nodded in agreement. Rozetta stayed silent, listening to them talk while thinking about what was to become of her. Once she reached Stormwind she didn't know what to do from there. She didn't know anyone there at all. Another wave of loneliness washed over her, the thought that something terrible happened to Vicente making her start crying. The elven males all jumped up, asking her what was wrong.

"I just wish I knew where my husband was. I don't have anyone to rely on for help. I don't know what to do after you leave me in Stormwind," she sobbed. Zyeal knelt down besides her rubbing her shoulder. "I just feel so alone. I'm scared," she whispered, rubbing her stomach. Mariuss placed his hand over hers causing her to look up at him.

"Well, you're not completely alone," he said referring to the child. She sniffled, nodding as she rubbed her eyes. "Kurai, is there anything we can do for her?" The rogue thought a moment, looking up at the three.

"To be honest, I really don't know what it is we can do for her," he said. He looked her in the face, "Is there anything you'd like us to do for you, Rozetta. All I can think is to give you to the healers and nursemaids at the church. They may be able to take you in until you can have your child and stabilize yourself." She looked down in defeat, hoping he had something better. She slouched in her seat, feeling weak. Outside, the harbor horn rang, signaling that the boat had arrived. Kurai stood, picking up his weapons and rolling up the map he was looking at. Zyeal helped Rozetta to her feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders for support. She leaned against him as he guided her out to the boat. Mariuss frowned, glancing at Kurai.

"I wish we could do something for her."

"I do too, Mariuss, I really do," Kurai responded, following them outside. Just outside the door Lynx was prancing around chasing a butterfly, pawing at the air and jumping after it, her tail wisping about behind her. Mariuss let out a laugh, watching his pet jump after the insect.

"That's my blood thirsty tiger," he said with a chuckle to Kurai. Rozetta stared at the creature, a soft smile coming across her face as Lynx rolled onto her back reaching her paws up as she tried to catch it. Walking away from Zyeal, she knelt down watching the tiger roll back and forth as the butterfly abandoned her. Realizing the human was nearby; Lynx peered up at her from being on her back, purring. Rozetta leaned down and rubbed the creature's belly, earning a happy purr. Lynx rolled back onto her feet, nuzzling her face into Rozetta's hand causing her to giggle. Mariuss walked up near them, "Ok, dummy, it's time to get going." Lynx looked up at him, knowing he was talking to her. She ran towards the boat, stopping just before the ramp to board. "Come on, Miss Rozetta, let's get going," he said with a smile, holding his hand out to help her up.

* * *

The boat ride seemed to go faster then originally intended, the ship pulling into the harbor of Menethil. The group departed from the boat, walking towards the flight keeper. Kurai walked ahead to arrange the flight to Ironforge while the others stopped so Rozetta could rest from the trip. The rocking of the boat got to her a little, giving her a small headache. Zyeal walked to one of the venders and purchased some water for her while Lynx nuzzled her legs. Kurai walked up, pointing back to the griffins.

"Well, we're all set. We can go whenever you guys are ready."

"Just a minute. Zyeal is getting her some water," Mariuss replied. "So how long should the flight be you think?"

"Well right now it looks like the wind is in our favor so maybe like a half hour, I suppose," the rogue responded. Zyeal walked back, handing the container to the girl, watching her take a long sip before handing it back to him while thanking him. "You ready to go?" She nodded, beginning to walk ahead of them while cradling her tummy. The griffins cooed from their nests, fluffing their feathers as the group approached. The keeper pointed to a few of them, directing them to their griffins. The Elves thanked the keeper, helping Rozetta mount one of them.

"Maybe I should ride with her," Zyeal offered, "Just in case so she doesn't fall or get knocked off somehow."

"I'll ride ahead. Mariuss stay behind them just in case," Kurai said, mounting his griffin. The group took to the air, bound for Ironforge.

* * *

The scouting group landed in Orgimmar, heading down the tower and through the town going straight to the Warchief's chamber. Upon entering the room, Mug'thal turned to his men, signaling them to wait while he stepped forward, bowing his head. His soldiers behind him, bowed down on one knee. Thrall looked up at them from his seat, his wolves at his feet lifting their heads to see who it was who dared approach their master. Thrall stood, motioning for the ghost wolves to settle down while walking up before Mug'thal.

"Here to report on assignment in the Eastern Plaguelands, Warchief. Found some refugee humans in one of the towns in the north and neutralized them. We spotted an Alliance group that had confronted the troops from Tyr's Hand. Other then that, Tyr's Hand has been showing more activity then usual," the captain responded.

"And what of these Alliance," Thrall asked. He had a soft spot for them due to his run in with Tabetha while imprisoned at Durnehold Keep and his friendship with Lady Jaina Proudmoore of Theramore. Unless it was first provoked, he was against any kind of unnecessary violence towards the Alliance.

"They secured some Scarlet prisoners. Their leader appeared to be the Night Elf rogue named Kurai Shidosha," he replied. Thrall looked down in thought, his hand coming up to his chin.

"That Kurai, eh? Well, good job men. I thank you for your work and good job," the Warchief responded, bowing his head slightly. The men bowed in return, turning to leave when Thrall called to the rogue, asking him to wait. Glancing at the captain, Vicente turned back and walked up to Thrall, bowing his head again. "I thank you for a job well done. I wish to have you stay in this team for awhile if you would."

"Yes, Warchief, I understand," he replied. Leaving the chamber, the rest of the group was waiting outside to hear from the rogue what happened. They asked him, watching him lean back to stretch his back. "He wants me to stay under your command, sir," Vicente said, being sure to be respectful seeing how he overlooked the incident with Rozetta.

"So what now, boss?" Ruma asked, shrugging.

"For now all we can do is resupply and rest. Meet back here in an hour," the captain ordered, walking away. Kuto bowed and turned towards the Valley of Honor to speak with the troll hunters that resided there for advice and supplies. Ruma asked Mug'thal if he needed anything from the auction before the tauren transformed into his cat form and taking off towards the main area of the city. Vicente glanced around not sure what to do; it certainly was going to take more then an hour to explore the city before he found anything of use to himself. "Vicente." The undead's head snapped back, his blue eyes meeting the orc's firm gaze He shifted his weight to his other foot, feeling uncomfortable as the orc cleared his throat. "Why don't you come with me; you look lost."

"Is it that obvious," the rogue asked with a small laugh, looking around again. The orc gestured for him to follow as he walked towards The Drag. "So this is Orgimmar. Never thought I would be in here, ever," he said with a small chuckle. "Place looks really nice, reminds me of a desert oasis."

"Thrall brought us here after he found us. We traveled overseas from Azeroth to this place and built this city ourselves. Thrall is our Warchief and makes all his calls with his people in mind. Everything he does is in our best interest. Remember that."

"Right, right. So where are we going anyway?" Vicente asked as they walked down a stone path to an area that seemed enshrouded in darkness.

"This is The Cleft of Shadow. The rogue trainers reside here. Also the suppliers for you are here. This cave here is the Ragefire Chasim. We usually send beginners in there for training," Mug'thal said, pointing to each area as he explained it. Vicente looked at his captain, smiling.

"Hey, I want to thank you for all you help. I really do appreciate you letting my wife escape and I'm sorry for the trouble I caused. It's just so much has happened and it all feels like it happened in such a short time. But that's only because I was asleep for so long. Now my child is to be born soon, and my wife will be all alone. I hope those elves take her somewhere safe."

"Well, I've been to Light's Hope before. They offer shelter for both Horde and Alliance. But I do know that they won't have the treatment your wife needs," the orc replied as they walked up to the poison vender. Vicente bought some variation of poisons, packing them in his pouch and handing the orc vender some gold. "I imagine that if they are going to take your wife anywhere then it will be one of the major cities like Ironforge or Stormwind."

"So what is up with that Night Elf rogue that you guys were talking about? What's so special about him?"

"Kurai? He's a mighty rogue. Anyone I have ever heard or seen him fight has fallen to his blade. He's very skilled. He's one of the few Grand Marshals of the Alliance," Mug'thal explained as they continued on up the ramp out of The Cleft. Vicente nodded his head in thought.

"That's pretty impressive. I don't hear about things like that living all the way north," the rogue said, "So you think Ironforge or Stormwind, huh?" Mug'thal stopped, causing Vicente to glance at him. The captain shook his index finger at him in a scolding manner, shaking his head.

"Don't you forget you are under my command. Don't think you can just jump ship on me and go looking for your wife. I understand that you want to find her again but you have a job to do and that's to stay with your squadron," Mug'thal said, eyeing him. The rogue frowned, nodding his head slowly in defeat. The captain walked up, resting his arm over the undead's boney shoulders. "Besides, you never know we may get an assignment on the other continent."

* * *

As the group landed in the griffin nest at Ironforge, Kurai dismounted asking the keeper the direction of the underground tram. The lively dwarf pointed in the direction of the Hall of Explorers.

"Sure thing, laddie. Ya go down here and just before ya get to the library you make a right into Tinker Town and there will be a tunnel in there to the tram," the dwarf replied. Kurai thanked him, looking back at the group and nodding. After checking Rozetta, they began walking towards the tram, the young girl's eyes wandering around in interest.

"This place is huge," Rozetta commented, looking around. "I forgot what its like to be in the city."

"Wait till you get to Stormwind. This place is too dark for me personally," Mariuss said, glancing around, "I don't like that feeling of being underground all too much." They turned to walk into the area called Tinker Town, hearing gears turn and machinery clink and clank. Coming through the small tunnel they saw gnomes running around working. Some in the corners were messing with potions, pouring different colored liquids into beakers watching puffs of smoke billow out of them. Others carried machine parts, discussing where each part should go to build their creation. Moving on passed them, they came to a long tunnel leading to a tram service with benches to rest and wait. As they walked in the tram finished its run from Stormwind, coming to a halt before them.

"Hurry, hop on," Zyeal said, grabbing Rozetta and helping her on while the others followed. Just as Lynx jumped on, it began its course to Stormwind, traveling through and under a body of water, fish dancing around the glass as if watching what was below them.

"It's so beautiful," the girl marveled, "I really wish Vicente was here to see this." She rubbed her tummy gently. Kurai frowned, looking away as he thought of Hotaru, hoping she was ok. The tram came to a halt, the group bracing for the stop, hurrying off as fast as possible. They walked through the long tunnel coming into the sunlight and into the Dwarven District of Stormwind. Kurai turned to the group, stopping them.

"I'm going to seek an audience from the King and find out the details of Hotaru's mission. Hopefully she is back already. You guys want to head to the church and speak with the Bishop?"

"We can do that. Are you ready, Miss Rozetta," Mariuss asked, leaning down to see her face. She looked away, nodding her head reluctantly. The hunter turned back to the rogue, nodding before guiding the other two towards the Cathedral of Light. Kurai began walking towards the Keep, coming up to two guards at the entrance, earning a salute from each.

"Welcome back, sire," they said in unison. He bowed to them as he walked through, heading down the long hall upward to find the King sitting at his throne with his son by his feet clearly telling him a story, his arms moving around to give visuals. The young prince had so much to talk with his father since the King's return to the throne. Anduin stopped upon seeing the Night Elf walk up, running beside his father. Kurai knelt down, bowing his head in respect. Varian stood, walking over and telling Kurai he was allowed to come to his feet.

"Lord Varian, I was wondering if you had any news from Lady Hotaru," Kurai began watching the King glance at him.

"No, I haven't heard anything from her yet. I sent her to Deadwind to look over the area. We had reports of a few figures being spotted there," he replied, stroking his chin in thought. He motioned for him to follow him into his war room, gesturing to the maps of Karazhan he had with him. He pointed to them, watching Kurai pick them up to look them over. The young prince peered over the table, listening in to their conversation. "She really should have been back by now though. I only sent her to scout after all." The rogue glared down at the maps in his hands, an angered and worried look coming across his face.

"I'm going," he said, slamming the maps down and turning to leave, the King's voice stopping him.

"Do you require anything?"

"I need my girl back," he replied, turning to give the man a bow in respect before walking off. Anduin looked up at his father.

"Is he going to be ok, Father?" Varian stayed silent, watching the rogue continue out of the Keep before turning to one of his guard captains.

* * *

The two male Elves came before the Bishop, kneeling in respect of him. The holy man urged them to their feet, asking what it was that brought them to him this evening. They brought Rozetta forward who grasped her hair nervously while looking around the church in curiosity. The man called one of his priests over, telling him to take the girl downstairs to the nurses who resided there. She looked at her two traveling companions in sorrow before following the priests to the doorway to the left, going down the ramp to the lower levels.

"Goodbye," she whispered, "Thank you for everything." Mariuss waved weakly, looking at the warrior beside him. Zyeal looked just as upset, wishing as well there was more they could do for her.

"She will be safe here. We will help her with her child," the Bishop said, trying to make them feel better. Mariuss walked up pulling a small pouch with some gold coin. "Nonsense, my child."

"Just think of it as a donation to the church," he said placing it in the man's hand. "She lost her husband and home to the Lich King's assault. Please don't leave her alone. We'll be sure to come see her." Nodding, the Bishop took the coin, passing it to another priest to take it to put it away. He turned back to the Elves, bowing his head. They bowed in return, bidding them farewell before heading out to the courtyard. Walking up to the dried up fountain outside, the two were greeted by Lynx who was prancing around the structure. As soon as the tiger noticed the girl was gone, she made a noise showing she was sad. Mariuss knelt down, petting her. "Yeah, me too, girl."

"We should really find Kurai," Zyeal said, looking around to see if he was nearby. Climbing to his feet, the hunter nodded, walking towards the Trade District with the other two.

* * *

In the center of the Trade District, Kurai was loading up his Frostsaber with a few supplies before mounting up and turning to the nearby guard.

"You there!" The guard saluted him, running up to his side.

"Sir!"

"There are two Elf males: a white haired hunter named Mariuss and a dark green haired warrior named Zyeal. Tell them if you see them that I went to Deadwind Pass," the rogue said pulling on the reins to steady his saber. The guard bowed, his head snapping up upon hearing a voice beside them.

"We'll be sure to tell them," Zyeal said crossing his arms. Lynx ran up to play with the Frostsaber, pawing at the large tiger's nose.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" Mariuss demanded, "You were going to leave us?" Kurai made a face, dismounting from the blue tiger.

"The King said that Hotaru hasn't sent any word back and that she was due to be back already. I was going to go after her and I knew you were helping Rozetta."

"Well, she's at the church now. They offered to watch over her just like you said. They are going to help her with her and her child," the warrior said jerking his thumb back towards the Cathedral of Light. Mariuss glanced at his friend's mount, seeing the supplies before looking back at the rogue's worried face.

"Well, let's get going then. You know we're not letting you go alone," the hunter said, "We're a team, after all."

Hotaru Shidosha ~


	5. Damsel in Distress

Chapter 5 has arrived ~! :3 So I had a poll on my DeviantART page and some people asked for a few chapters to be a little longer so here we go. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 5 - Damsel in Distress

* * *

Hotaru strained to open her eyes, leaning up to find herself in a circular cage in what appeared to be in a small, personal library. Her weapons and knives were taken as well as her armor, being replaced with a short, tattered white dress. She looked around frantic, feeling exposed without her gear. On the other side of the room at one of the tables was one of the cloaked figures, reading one of the many books that scattered the room. Climbing to her feet, the rogue gripped the bars to hold herself up. Her head was spinning, making her dizzy as she tried figuring out where she was. Her silvery eyes scanned the room, seeing no windows and only one door.

"I see you have finally woken up. You have been out for some time now. I trust you slept well," the figure said without looking, still glancing over the book he was holding. She stayed silent, glaring at the man intently. "Nothing to say, eh? We'll see about that," he replied, closing the book. He placed it on the table in front of him, walking up towards the cage, watching the elfin girl move to the back away from him. The cloak still covered him well, giving nothing away, his face enshrouded in darkness.

"What have you done with my things? Why did you dress me like this?"

"To make sure you weren't hiding anything. This way, for sure, we know you don't have anything to help you," he said, turning his back to her. She walked to the front of the cage, bringing her hands back up to grab the bars.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? Whatever it is, people are aware of it," she pressed. In a flash the man turned around and grabbed her wrists, pulling her arms through until her body was flush against the bars.

"You are in no position to be asking anything. Why were you out there?" he demanded. She turned her head, showing she wasn't going to talk. A yelp escaped her as he pulled her arm to the side, threatening to break it. "I'll break them both. What were you doing out there?" She could tell from his tone that he wasn't bluffing. He wouldn't waste a moment longer with her silence if she gave it.

"I was told to check the area out," she whispered. Another yelp was riled out of her as he grabbed her wrist and prompted to be ready to break it if needed. "I told you already!" she snapped, trying to pull her arms back.

"Who sent you?" Again she stopped, looking away only to have pain bring her attention back.

"Stormwind," came her reply. She hated this, she hated being in such a vulnerable state at the enemy's grasp. Her eyes turned away from him again, her anger rising. He let go of her arms, reaching through and grabbing her throat in his iron grip, a gasp escaping her.

"The King returns and now he wants to be in everyone's business, eh? Maybe I should send your broken body to his doorstep as a sign to stay out of business that doesn't concern him." Hotaru tried gasping for breath, his grip cutting off her air as she tried prying his hand off of herself. He threw her back against the other side of the cage, watching her slip to the floor. "Such a waste though," he said walking around to the other side of the cage, looking down at the girl, "if I had to damage something so pretty." He leaned down as she urged herself to go to the opposite side away from him. Again she felt helpless, watching his shadowed face stare at her.

"You creep," she mumbled, hugging herself. He chuckled, startling her, as he stood and walked towards the doorway.

"I'll be back, sweetheart," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. As soon as he left, her eyes darted about the room, looking for something to work with to try and break out of her imprisonment spotting a letter opener on the closest table. At first she tried the obvious such as stretching her arm as far out as she could to using whatever was within her reach. Nothing was working as she sank to her knees, her head down in defeat, her long dark blue hair falling over her. Upon looking at the ground she realized that the cage wasn't attached to the floor. Looking back at the door, she ran to one end of the cage and braced herself as she slammed into the other side in attempts to either move it closer or knock it over.

* * *

The zeppelin arrived to the continent of Azeroth, entering the loading dock at Grom'gul, the Horde camp in the middle of Stranglethorn Vale. Vicente, Kuto, Ruma, and Captain Mug'thal set foot on the top of the tower, looking over the land from their viewpoint near the zeppelin. The vast jungle-like atmosphere and the sandy beach near the camp giving a friendly yet mysterious environment. Walking down to ground level the group bought some mounts from the tamer nearby, mounting the raptors and preparing to head north. Their mission was to gather information about the Alliance; as much as they were capable. Vicente was more then happy to be able to get close enough to the Alliance forces to try and learn what happened to his beloved Rozetta.

"There is an Alliance town northeast of here called Darkshire. It's a good place to start because they have town militia compared to other towns that have city guards. From there we can move to Goldshire. When we get to that town though we're going to have just a few city guards. Let's move out," Mug'thal briefed, leading them out of the Horde camp.

"Are we sticking to the road or are we cutting through, sir?" Ruma asked.

"We'll probably stay near the road unless it shows to be a threat," the captain replied.

"Ya mon, der be many trolls around da ruins here," Kuto said pointing directly north from their current position. "Den deres anuda set a ruins in dis direction near da road. Best be careful, mon."

"Right, let's cut through here and then come out onto the road. Unless we find something that will threaten us, we'll keep to this," Mug'thal said. Vicente stayed quiet, making sure to behave and keep himself from wanting to run off to find his only family. He knew his captain was going to help him but it was going to take a lot of his willpower to keep patient. They cut through the foliage, finding a few stray raptors and a small group of tribal murlocks, being sure to keep their distance. The jungle scenery was a big switch from the forest Vicente was used to all the way north. The evening sun began creeping into the horizon, the heat beginning to settle down.

"So I heard about this place but never thought I would ever come here. I've always been up north in the Plaguelands. My home was a forest before Arthas turned into what it is now," Vicente said, making a fist.

"Mah tribe day gone mad and take refuge in da palace over dere in Zul'Gurub. I ran off for I became one a dem," Kuto said, filing an arrowhead against his tusks to sharpen it. "So I'm probably da one here with da most knowledge about dis area."

"I came here from the Cenarion Circle in Moonglade before I came to Orgrimmar and was assigned to Captain Mug'thal's group to hone my skills as a druid," Ruma said shifting his weight on his mount. The group crossed over the rope bridge, seeing some goblins nearby with gnome-ish machinery. Staying close to the road, the group avoided them, coming up to the second bridge.

"We have to be careful when we get up the hill near the border of Stranglethorn. There is an Alliance camp to the left here, but there are only a few men there. But we don't want any unnecessary conflicts with them," Mug'thal ordered, urging to pick up the pace. Sure enough once they climbed up the hill there was a split, the left showing the Alliance the orc spoke of and to the right was a large wooden bridge. They crossed over and into the darkness that was known as Duskwood. "We may have to be careful. We might not be able to stay close to the rode here because there are more Alliance wandering through here. We're going to go right here; the town of Darkshire is just ahead."

"Yessir," the others replied, following their captain.

* * *

The group of three Night Elf males entered the town of Duskwood, walking around to ask the residents about the Night Elf female that had recently visited. Most said they didn't see her while the head of the militia, a human female mentioned that she had asked about anything strange coming from the Pass. Thanking the dark haired woman, they headed west to make their way towards Deadwind Pass.

"Hey that's the Elves from up north. Isn't that Kurai over there," Vicente whispered from the group's hiding spot in the hills just above the houses. The captain nodded, motioning to follow them. Ruma transformed to cat, stealthing and getting closer while Vicente followed him. Mug'thal and Kuto lingered back to be sure to keep them in their sight.

"So one of them said that she was asking them about anything strange in the area," Mariuss reported, watching Kurai for a reaction.

"Another told me they haven't seen her since," Zyeal said with a frown, "I hope she's ok." Kurai remained silent, his thoughts beginning to think the worse slowly showing on his face. "Hey, Kurai!" The rogue jumped, his head snapping towards the other two. "You don't look so good, you know. You need to calm down or you're not gonna think straight," the warrior warned.

"We'll find her," Mariuss offered, trying his best to make his friend feel better. The distracted Elves didn't notice the Horde that trailed them as they continued on their way towards the castle of Karazhan.

* * *

Another shove and the cage clattered to its side, a loud bang sounding though the empty castle halls. Leaning up and wincing at the pain from landing on the bars, Hotaru quickly reached up, grabbing the letter opener with her fingertips and bringing it up to the lock, beginning to pick it open. Occasionally, she glanced at the door, knowing there was no way that man didn't hear the noise she made. All she knew was that she needed to get away from this place and fast. She still wasn't sure what it was that was going on here but she feared if she stayed any longer she would find out the hard way. She had no intention of having that happen. Especially after all the hinted comments her captor had made. The lock cracked open and she climbed out of the cage keeping the letter opener with her for defense. Leaning against the wall close to the door, she waited to see if the man was still coming due to the noise. At that moment the door swung open, the cloaked man rushing in and growling at the sight of the open cage. He yelled at whoever was with him to search for her before turning around to look at the damage she had done. Once she was certain he was alone she jumped him, bring the blade up to his throat while grabbing his arm and pulling it behind him.

"So," he began calmly, "you weren't far away at all."

"Where is my stuff?" she demanded, pressing the blade against his skin.

"You won't know if you kill me," he said.

"I'll find it with or without your help. It will just be faster with you," Hotaru said, looking towards the door. She dragged him close to it, leaning out to make sure no one was outside in the hallway.

"You won't get out of here, you know. You'll be dead before you even get close." She glared at the back of his head, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. It was then she remembered to grab his hood, ripping it down. With her grip on him loosened, he broke away, moving further into the room while glaring at her with his glowing green eyes.

"Blood Elf," she hissed, raising the blade up in defense. He chuckled, figuring there was no point in wearing the cloak any longer, ripping it off to reveal his gold paladin armor beneath, his long black hair in a crazy ponytail. She inched towards the door, keeping her gaze on him. She didn't like these odds at all. She was completely unarmed save for the letter opener from before, a flimsy torn gown the only thing covering her. Against his armor and magic, she stood no chance against him in combat at this time. He smiled at her face, knowing she was putting this realization together in her head. Taking a step forward, he grinned, watching her flinch. Again, the small blade was brought up in defense, hoping he would be intimidated to not come any closer.

"What do you plan on doing with that useless thing?"

"This might be useless to you but this may be all I need to get out of here. It would just be better to have my gear," she said, keeping her eyes on him. He scoffed dashing forward and grabbing her arms as she drove the blade into his side where she knew the chest piece and greaves met. He looked down at the blade then up at her in his grasp, using one hand to pull it out, tossing it to the ground behind him.

"That hurt," he said, gripping her shoulders and slamming her against the bookshelf behind her, books toppling to the ground. She grunted at the impact, trying to break out of his hold. She brought her hand up jabbing into the wound she made causing him to let go of her and jump at the pain. She took this chance to run out of the room as fast as she could, running down the halls that lead downward to the main floor. Behind her, she heard the thumping of the Blood Elf's boots as he raced after her. Reaching the main floor of the library she looked across seeing only a stairway that lead up to a balcony. Running across the broad room she leapt up the stairs seeing a ramp up and leading left. Once up, she found a grand hall, a doorway on the other side to the right.

"This place is enormous," she muttered, breathing hard. Behind her, she heard the Blood Elf chasing her, yelling something to someone about helping him catch her. She started running again, rushing through the doorway to find a broken pathway, parts of the castle looking as though they were torn away, the stairs leading down battered and broken but strong enough to hold her. She looked behind her to make sure he wasn't right on top of her before hurrying down, occasionally looking up to see where the paladin was.

"You won't escape!" he screamed seeing her continue running down the stairs. He jumped down each level to the sturdier areas, gaining on her until they both reached the bottom. She was right there in front of him, her horrified expression making him feel better before she turned and darted through the door.

* * *

Kurai and the others passed the ogres coming around the bend to see Hotaru's saber clawing at the tree it was tied to as if to try and free herself. The rogue dismounted, running to the saber and cutting the leather straps from the tree. The Frostsaber turned and ran to the right of the entrance and over the stream, roaring as if looking for her master. Kurai ran up beside the creature, peering up at the broken down looking portion of the castle. Mariuss and Zyeal hurried after him, both looking up where he was.

"She up there, girl," the rogue asked the saber. She cried, running around the corner to show them the stairway up. "Come on!" The three raced up the rickety stairs with Mariuss telling Lynx to guard the ground level, nightfall creeping up on them. A sudden high pitched scream caused them to all look at each other before hurrying up and over the stone bridge that connected the destroyed house to the castle. Running up into the large wooden door, Kurai began pounding on it before leaning against it to listen.

"Get off me! Stop!" came a female voice. Kurai went wide eyed, leaning back and beginning to break the door near its hinges with his swords. The Blood Elf pinned Hotaru down, straddling her while catching his breath from chasing her. She strained to push him off, growing weak under his firm hold. Raising his fist up, it began to glow as he thrusted it down into the ground next to her head, making her freeze.

"You stupid bitch. You're not going anywhere and if you tried you wouldn't get far; I won't let you," he growled. The thudding at the door caught his attention, causing him to look up in time to see the wooden door nearby splinter open, the trio of Night Elf males stumbling through from the absence of something to lean on now. The Blood Elf's eyes grew wide, seeing the male rogue as he looked up at him. Beneath the paladin, Hotaru gazed up at her friends and lover, breathing hard from all the running.

"Kurai…" she whimpered, "Help me, please…" Each Night Elf poised their weapon at the paladin, glaring at him in hatred.

"Get off of her. Now," Kurai demanded, malice lacing his voice. Holding his hands up in defense, the Blood Elf stood, moving off the girl. She rolled over crawling to her lover's feet and grabbing his leg wearily, her breath still labored. Holstering his swords, Kurai leaned down, lifting the poor girl to her feet, looking her over. "Hotaru, are you ok?" She looked up at him, worry in her eyes mixed with relief.

"Who are you?" Mariuss demanded, keeping his bow aimed at the paladin. The Blood Elf glanced around, looking for an exit. His eyes brightened as if he spotted something, giving a slight nod. Mariuss let out a loud scream falling forward to reveal two arrows protruding out of his back.

"No!" Zyeal yelled, grabbing him and pulling him up. They turned to see an Orc hunter with another arrow loaded up, ready to fire. With his left arm still around Hotaru, Kurai placed his right hand against the stone wall, using it to help lean on as he kicked Zyeal through the doorway with Mariuss as the next shot went through, just missing them. Gaining his balance again, Kurai turned, letting go of the girl to send a few throwing knives at the Orc, nailing him in the hand and neck, taking him out. The Blood Elf ran up to try and grab the female who was gripping the wall to keep from falling only to face Kurai's throwing knife as he pointed it at him.

"Don't move," the Night Elf hissed, "Now who are you?" Again the paladin was silent until Kurai came up and slammed him into the wall. "I'll try one more time: Who are you and what have you done to her?"

"Oh? Adding questions now, eh?" he replied, glancing at the girl as she glared at him, adjusting the flimsy dress. "And what are you going to do if I don't answer you?" Kurai pressed the blade against his throat.

"Well, I don't need you if that's what you are trying to find out," he growled.

"Just kill him. He's not going to tell you anything. He wouldn't tell me either," Hotaru whispered. Suddenly her ears twitched as she heard a noise behind her, spinning to nail a Troll rogue in the throat with a swift jab, causing him to grab it and fall back choking. From her side, a druid ambushed her, knocking her down and digging his claws into her skin. Kurai pulled back from the paladin, seeing Hotaru fall out of the corner of his eye. The Night Elf rogue moved to help her, a voice behind him causing him to stop.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. You never know what may happen to your lady friend," came the voice. Glancing over his shoulder, Kurai spotted a blonde Blood Elf warlock, his wings flaring out from his armor. Looking back, Kurai saw the druid with one paw on Hotaru's stomach while the other lingered near her neck. "Now step away from my friend and put all your weapons on the ground."

"W-why am I so tired," she murmured, breathing heavy. The paladin grinned, moving to fix his dark bangs as his gaze fell on the male rogue.

"Looks like I win, Kurai," the paladin said earning a glare from the Night Elf as he snapped his head back towards him.

* * *

Just outside the door, Zyeal dragged Mariuss across the bridge and laid him on his stomach, hesitating on whether or not to pull the two arrows out. Leaning down he looked to see if the hunter was awake, finding him out cold. From inside, the warrior heard Hotaru scream again.

"Oh man, I'm sorry, Mariuss, but you should be ok here for now. As long as I don't pull these out you won't bleed as fast. If you can hear me, don't move," the warrior said, jumping up and running back across to the castle. Near the stairs, the Horde scout group looked over at the unconscious hunter.

"Wat'chu tink, boss?"

"I'm not sure if we should interfere," the captain said, thinking. Vicente stared at the Night Elf on the ground near them.

"Do you know of any Horde troops being here, sir?" Ruma asked. The Orc shook his head.

"Well, then I think we should help them. Whatever's in there may become our problem if it's too much for your Grand Marshal rogue to handle," Vicente said walking towards Mariuss. He gripped one of the arrows, using his other hand to hold the male down as he ripped it out, a scream escaping elf's lips. Mariuss began to stir, trying to lean up only to have Vicente push him back down as he grabbed the second arrow.

"W-What?"

"Hold still," Vicente said, ripping the arrow out. Mariuss screamed again in pain. He finally looked up at them, blinking his eyes to adjust, a shocked expression coming over his face as he saw they were Horde. He scrambled to his feet, walking back against the wall as they circled him. He pulled his dagger from his side, holding it up to try and keep them away as his other hand gripped near his shoulder as if to try reaching his back. Blood oozed down from his wounds, making him feel faint. Vicente held up his hands, trying to calm the Night Elf down. "We aren't going to hurt you," he said softly, watching Mariuss try and hold himself up. Mug'thal looked at Ruma, jerking his head towards the elf to tell him to heal him. Again Mariuss flinched, the dagger coming up in defense.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to keep his eyes open, _'Damn those arrows hit something. It's so hard to stay awake. How the hell did I get out here?'_

"We just want to help," Ruma said inching forward.

"Since when?" Mariuss countered. Mug'thal scoffed, looking at the undead in defeat.

"This is pointless. They aren't going to trust us," he said. Vicente shook his head, looking at the Night Elf again.

"He will. Especially this one. He saved Rozetta," the undead said. Mariuss' head snapped in the rogue's direction, his glowing eyes wide with confusion. "My name is Vicente. Thank you for saving my wife." Feeling now that he could trust them, Mariuss gave in to the weakness he was experiencing, dropping the dagger and falling to his knees. Vicente and Ruma ran forward, holding him up before he hit his head against the ground. The Night Elf's head sank, a soft groan escaping his lips as his hair covered his face.

"Just hold still. This should help," the Tauren said bringing his hand up to Mariuss' shoulder, a gentle green emitting from it.

* * *

Kurai's weapons clashed to the floor as he held up his hands in defeat. The paladin walked over to the girl, lifting her up by her arm. She seemed to be getting weaker and weaker as time passed, falling limp, and weakly looking up at Kurai. The Night Elf male growled as the paladin grabbed Hotaru's chin and pulled her close, licking the blood off her cheek from the wound to her head from the druid's claws.

"How are you feeling, dear? That potion I gave you while you were out cold is working now. All that running certainly helped it get through your system," he replied. She went wide eyed, seeing now why he had no problem leaving her alone in the library upstairs. "I didn't expect you to break out so fast but you surely impressed me. And now you have your hero here and there's nothing he can do. Maybe we should just kill him right now," he said pulling her over near the rogue. She stumbled in his grip, looking up at Kurai as she steadied.

"No," she murmured, trying to pull away from the Blood Elf. "Don't.. Don't hurt him," she said weakly.

"So you gave it to her after all, huh?" the warlock mused, making his Fel Guard watch over Kurai. The giant demon brought his weapon down near him, threatening to end his life if told to. Hiding in the doorway in the shadow, Zyeal peered around the corner to see the situation before him, figuring out how to help them.

'_This is ridiculous. I can't even think of anything I can do without getting one of those two hurt or even killed,'_ he thought, watching the Tauren druid and warlock tie Kurai's arms behind his back and to his body. The paladin picked Hotaru up as she fainted, scooping her up in his arms as he jerked his head to tell the others to start moving.

"Where we takin him?" the Tauren asked, shoving Kurai along.

"Maybe Illhoof will have fun with him," the paladin said, "I'm going to take her to one of the rooms above the main hall." The Night Elf tried breaking away and going after the paladin only to be knocked down by the Fel Guard. "Heh, don't worry, we'll take care of her."

"Bastard!" They pulled him to his feet, his gaze never breaking from the Blood Elf. Zyeal leaned against the wall, his head tilted up while listening to the paladin taunt his friend, feeling helpless. He heard them walk off, leaving the broken hallway to head towards the main hall.

"Zyeal, psst!" The warrior's head snapped towards the exit, finding Mariuss leaning against the wall near him, with the four Horde behind him. On instinct, Zyeal raised his sword up against them only to find the hunter ease him down. "No, no, it's ok. Zyeal, it's fine. They aren't with those guys in there." The warrior gave him a 'have you lost it' face, waiting for someone to explain. "They want to help us."

"Are you crazy," Zyeal hissed, earning glares from all Horde except the rogue. It was then he remembered the arrows and realized that Mariuss seemed better then he had before. "You sure?"

"Yeah, where are the others?"

"Those crazy Horde dragged them inside. They got Kurai because they held Hotaru hostage. Otherwise you know he would have shred them," Zyeal replied, looking around the corner. "They're gone now; said something about going to the main hall or something. I'll grab Kurai's weapons."

"We don't think they are Horde we are familiar with. Thrall never sent anyone to this place as far as I know," Mug'thal said. Vicente drew his throwing knives, twirling them.

"Well then whatever they are planning may involve all of us. This place is unstable."

"Let's get moving then," Zyeal said holstering Kurai's swords on his back. Mariuss turned back towards the exit, letting out a sharp whistle, having Lynx come prancing up from her guard outside.

* * *

Walking into one of the many rooms that were down the halls, the Blood Elf laid the unconscious girl across the bed. He walked over to the nightstand where a red colored bottle sat, picking it up and taking a sip, not swallowing it. Kurai's knees hit the ground before the bed, looking up to see the paladin lean the girl up and kiss her, transferring the liquid to her. Kurai jumped up, turning and ducking down a bit, avoiding the warlock from grabbing him and slamming his head into the lock's, knocking him down. As he moved to go after the paladin, Kurai was knocked down by the Fel Guard, landing on his right side.

"Son of a bitch, that hurt," the warlock muttered, standing and rubbing his head. "Draken, you have to watch him." The paladin's head snapped in his friend's direction, throwing his arms up in defeat.

"I can't believe you just did that. And here I was all mysterious," Draken said, rolling his eyes. "Thanks, Mavren." He walked over to the chair that was near the bed, sitting down, "Is Zul'jen back yet? He left hours ago to go hunting."

"No, or at least if he is he didn't show himself. This place is huge," Mavren answered, waving his hand about. Draken sighed, leaning his head back a moment before looking back down at the Night Elf on the ground. He had leaned up on his knees again and was now glaring at him. Draken grabbed some green grapes from the bowl on the nightstand, staring at Kurai while he ate a few.

"So what should we do about this one? Illhoof would get eaten alive by him even while he's tied up," Draken said, leaning up. Kurai took a quick glance at Hotaru before looking back at the paladin, not wanting him to see that he was checking on her. Mavren kept rubbing his head, giving Draken a miserable look before looking around for a mirror.

"I don't know. He's your prisoner."

"I can't quite put it. Who does he look like to you?" Draken said pointing a bit at the male rogue. Kurai remained silent, knowing what they were going to say. He heard it quite often. Mavren looked at Kurai a moment in thought before going back to tending to the bruise forming on his forehead.

"Kind of looks like Illidan, doesn't he?" the lock replied. Draken snapped his fingers, leaning back in his chair.

"That's it; before he was corrupted. Yeah I see it now," he said pulling out a small dagger, playing with the blade in his hands. Mavren rolled his eyes before his gaze fell on the potion on the nightstand, his eyes growing wide as he ran over and grabbed it.

"Did you give her this much?" Draken shifted in his seat, looking at the bottle.

"Yeah, why? I had only given her a tiny bit at first. I just gave her more," he replied. Kurai's ears twitched as he listened closely. The warlock groaned, setting the bottle down and running to his poach, sorting through it. Draken's ears perked as he watched the lock, wondering what he was doing.

"I told you to be careful with that when I gave it to you. Are you trying to kill her or something?" The rogue looked at Draken, glaring at him. Meanwhile, the warlock continued rummaging through his bag, muttering something along the lines of Draken being careless and hoping he had what he was searching for. The paladin stood, walking to the bed and peering down at the girl.

"She looks fine."

"For now," Mavren said, holding up a bottle to read it before moving on. Kurai climbed to his feet slowly so he wouldn't provoke the Fel Guard, straining against his bonds.

"You bastard, what did you do to her?"

"Ah, shut the hell up. You're in no position to be yelling at me," the paladin said, walking up to him. Kurai scoffed, turning his head to chuckle. "What the hell's so funny?" The rogue looked back at him, shaking his head.

"You. You're just hilarious. If I wasn't tied up you'd be dead right now. You needed a hostage to catch me, remember that." He walked up beside the bed, peering down at his love. Draken glared at him from the other side, leaning over to get closer.

"Got it!" Mavren cut in, stopping the paladin from having a few choice words with the Night Elf. The warlock ran over, thrusting a green potion into his friend's hand. "Give her some of that. Right now," he ordered, grabbing Hotaru's wrist and pulling her up into a sitting position. Draken looked over the contents of the bottle before looking at his friend.

"Why what happens if I don't?"

"Oh for crying… just do it. Idiot," Mavren snorted, tilting her head back and waiting for Draken to give her the antidote. Kurai got in the warlock's face, yelling at him, the Fel Guard bringing up his weapon between them.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving her from Draken's stupidity. She needs this or she'll die from too much of that potion over there," he said jerking his head towards the one on the nightstand. He shook his head, "Can't have a hostage if you kill her, moron." Draken did as he was told, forcing the female to drink the concoction. As soon as he was done, Mavren grabbed the rope he had left over from tying up the male Night Elf. "She's gonna be up any minute now." Smirking, Draken took the offered rope and bound her wrists to the bed posts, leaving her be for the moment.

"Well now that that's fixed, what do you think about him?" The warlock shrugged slightly, crossing his arms and looking at Kurai whose gaze wouldn't leave Hotaru's still figure. Mavren's hand began glowing softly as he moved it, commanding the Fel Guard to push the rogue back.

* * *

"Well I think its safe to say that they are in that room over there," whispered Ruma as he slinked back around the corner in cat form from scouting the hall. Only one room had guards in front of it: a Tauren and an Orc. Mariuss peered around the corner a little, eyeing up the area before ducking back and turning to the group. He was still in shock that these Horde came up to offer their assistance in helping them get rid of these guys and get their friends back.

"Ok, so we can always have you two switch with those guys. Seems almost like these others helping this guy aren't as important as that warlock that's with him," Mariuss said, jerking his thumb back towards the hall. Ruma transformed back into his original form, glancing at his captain for a response.

"How would you go about getting those guards away from the door without causing too much of a ruckus that those Blood Elves won't come out of that room?" Mug'thal asked. Zyeal looked around for something to work with.

"We can always send Lynx," he said. Mariuss shot him a look. "What?" Vicente made a face, pulling out one of his throwing knives and tossing it out on the floor high enough so it made a decent clatter. All eyes turned towards the noise as Vicente stealthed, drawing his weapons.

"Get ready," he said walking out. One of the guards, the Orc, ran over to the small knife, looking up and around to find the group hunched over staring at him. Just as he was about to yell, he hit the ground unconscious, Vicente's small form appearing behind him. Nearby, the Tauren picked up his club running towards the rogue only to be pounced by a tiger. Once they hid the unconscious bodies, Mug'thal and Ruma grabbed their weapons and raced to the door in time for Mavren to walk out. The others remained hidden around the corner, listening in.

"What's going on out here," the warlock demanded. Ruma saluted, heaving the club over his shoulder.

"Nothing, sir, thought we saw something," he said, not making eye contact with the small elf. Shaking his head, Mavren waved for them to return to their post, calling into the room that it was nothing. The group hiding gave a sigh of relief, tensing once the warlock poked his head out again. "Actually, I could use you. Come in." Mug'thal and Ruma glanced at each other before following the warlock in. Once they were inside, the others quietly crept closer, straining to listen in. Mavren pointed down at Kurai who was on his knees again. "Hold him up." They each grabbed one of the Night Elf's arms, lifting him up to his feet.

"So I think I will end up killing you after all. Seeing how you already abused poor Mavren twice and you're still bound. Plus you keep glaring at me," Draken said.

"I told you if you touch her, that I was going to kill you," the rogue growled. A soft groan signaled that Hotaru was waking from her poison-induced sleep, moving a little to find her wrists bound.

"What? Where am I?" she mumbled, leaning up and glancing around. Upon seeing the Blood Elves near her, she jolted, trying to jump up to attack one of them. "Release me, you coward!" she screamed. "K-Kurai!" The male Night Elf struggled against the two holding him, unaware they were going to help him. Draken walked up near Kurai, turning and slamming his fist into his stomach, catching him and the Horde off guard. A strangled cry escaped the rogue's lips as he leaned down from the impact, looking up and biting his lip. A distraught yelp came from behind them as the girl struggled against her bonds. "Stop it!" The paladin grabbed a handful of Kurai's hair, pulling his head up while looking back at her.

"Don't worry, my dear. When I kill him, I'll bring him to the Lich King as a gift," Draken said, "Since you're going to die no point in hiding anymore. All these men we have here are preparing to head to Northrend to go to Arthas. We have some plans for when we arrive there." Draken picked up the dagger he was playing with before, bringing the blade to the male rogue's throat. "You and I can talk about that later though, darling," he said lightly bringing the blade across the rogue's skin. Hotaru screamed, begging him to stop while trying to pull against the ropes holding her to the bed.

"Please, don't! Don't kill him, I beg of you!" she screamed, tears forming. Again she tried pulling against the ropes, causing Draken to laugh. Kurai kept his gaze on her, trying to calm her with his eyes. She tore her gaze away, sobbing.

"You're mine now, so you don't need him anymore," he said turning to thrust the blade into the rogue.

"NO!" she screamed. A firm, green hand caught the Blood Elf's, stopping him just before driving the blade through the prisoner's chest. Draken looked up to meet the cold stare of the Orc holding him. The Night Elf looked at the Orc in confusion, feeling his ropes fall to the ground upon being cut by an Undead rogue.

"What the hell are you doing? I order you to let go! How dare you interfere!" Mug'thal leaned down into the paladin's face, a smirk on his features.

"I don't work for you," he said simply, ripping the dagger out of his hand and shoving the elf back into the wall. Kurai waltzed over, grabbing the paladin and yanking him up to eye level, picking him up off the ground. The Night Elf rogue slammed him against the wall, bringing his face close.

"Now you're mine," he said punching him in the face and watching him fall to the ground. Mariuss came in the room, his bow poised to strike with Lynx at his heels, growling.

"Hey, Kurai, here," Zyeal said, giving him his weapons. Upon holstering them on his back, he pointed towards the Horde, asking what was going on. "We'll talk about that later. Just know that they are the good guys. Let's get out of here."

"What about the warlock?" Kurai asked, turning to see Vicente and Ruma cornering him. Mavren glanced over at Draken before looking back at the two pinning him, showing he wasn't going to do anything so long as they had the paladin.

"K-Kurai…" Hotaru choked out, weakly pulling on her bindings. He moved towards her, resting one knee on the bed as he cut her loose, picking her up. She grasped him around his neck, burying her face into his chest. "I thought he was going to kill you. I was so scared." He kissed her forehead before looking down at Draken who was leaned up on his side, wiping the blood from his chin.

"Remember that she's the reason you're still alive. I don't have time for you," he said coldly, walking out of the room with the others gradually following. Zyeal ran up to catch Kurai, grabbing his shoulder.

"We should find her stuff before we get out of her," he said. Kurai glanced down at the scantily clad elf who had fallen asleep in his arms before looking back at him.

"You could always ask him. I'll kill him before then if I do it," he said flatly. He wanted to get Hotaru out of there. Zyeal nodded, looking at the others, holding his arms up.

"Anyone wanna help," he asked with a grin.

* * *

The group loaded onto their mounts, a few peering back at the castle. The moonlight cast over it, giving it an ethereal image, as if ghosts were going to dance out and about the front courtyard. They took off, leaving a trail of kicked up dust in their wake. In the tower's window, Draken cradled his wounds and bruises after being interrogated for Hotaru's gear by the group. He stared down at them, watching them leave, an anger boiling within him. He turned back inside, slamming his fist into his open palm.

"Damnit! I had that bastard! He's dead next time. No crying girl is going to coax me into dragging it out," he hissed. In the corner of the room, Mavren was leaned up against the wall, his own wounds to tend to.

"Yeah, well, what if there isn't a next time? I think you got cocky. Next time don't taunt so much," he muttered, crossing his arms. Draken glanced at him before looking back out the window again.

"I didn't see you doing much to help," the paladin said. The warlock threw his arms up, pushing off the wall and turning towards him.

"Don't you see how lucky we are? We just got away from not just that Night Elf but an entire mob of people who could have killed us. Even if I did do something, I can't have one of them threatening to kill you," he countered, "Do you want them to know we're brothers and can be used against each other?" Draken slumped down in a chair near the window, looking down at the ground in defeat.

"I guess you have a point there," he murmured. Mavren leaned over, cupping his ear as if to strain to hear.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said you're right, damnit. Jeez, I hate when you do that. For crying out loud," Draken said, standing and leaning on the sill. "I'm going to kill that bastard. And take his girl from him. Last thing he's gonna see is me making her mine."

"Let me know when you want to wake up."

"Shut the hell up."

* * *

The group of Alliance and Horde galloped through Deadwind Pass, startling the vultures from their perches. Tigers and raptors padded the ground, making the small rocks rattle as they headed past the ogre home and up the hill to stop near the stone bridge. Kurai halted, turning his mount to face everyone, being sure Hotaru didn't fall from his embrace.

"So, I'm all ears," he said, steadying his saber. The others came to a stop, settling down their own mounts before climbing off. For the sake of holding the sleeping girl, Kurai stayed on his mount. "Whatever the reason is though, I greatly appreciate your help," he said, bowing his head. Vicente bowed to the Elves, looking up to meet Mariuss' gaze.

"Well, you helped my dear Rozetta so it was my pleasure. I'm her husband that she most likely told you about, Vicente," he said. He then went into a short draft of his story about how he became what he was this day. Watching the Elves show sorrow for him and his situation.

"She misses you and is terribly worried," Mariuss said.

"Where is she?"

"We left her in Stormwind with the church. We figured a human city would be best for her and that the church would help her and the child when it's born," Kurai said. Vicente looked down a moment. Mug'thal walked forward placing a hand on the undead's shoulder.

"We were wondering if you could help us a little bit. We were sent to scout out and find out what the Alliance were going to be doing about the Lich King's forces that are rising up. Thrall wants to know what is going on to help. He has always had strong bonds with helping the Alliance," the Orc said bowing his head. The Elves looked at each other, not sure how to answer.

"Well, all that I'm aware of," Kurai started, "is that King Varian is gathering supplies and troops. He's been building a fleet up. He never told me anything about it though."

"He's going to Northrend," came a small voice. Kurai's head snapped downward, seeing Hotaru gazing up at him. "He told me. He wanted to know if Arthas was using any of the magical properties at Karazhan. I was sent to see if Arthas had troops there. In a sense, he did." She glanced around at the group, making a face at seeing the Horde. "Um…"

"Long story, dear," Kurai said, kissing her forehead. She climbed out of his arms, wobbling a little once she landed on her feet. Mariuss made a slight attempt to catch her, seeing her keep her balance. A small breeze washed through, causing her to feel practically naked compared to everyone else.

"Are you ok? You were all cut up before from that druid," Vicente asked. Ruma came up, raising his hands having a warm light glow emit from them as it healed her.

"Thank you," she whispered, "Where's my stuff? I don't like entertaining your eyes," she mumbled. Without looking at him, she snapped her hand in Kurai's direction, pointing at him. "Except him." Zyeal grabbed a pouch he had tied to his saber's saddle, handing it to her. "Yay, gear! Thanks." The bag was snatched away as she turned to protest whoever grabbed it, coming face to face with her love.

"Well, there's nowhere for you to change right now," he said, reaching in the bag and grabbing her cloak, wrapping it around her. "So until then." She knew that look in his eye; he was enjoying himself. He normally didn't like it when other people were around but seeing how he almost just lost her, it wasn't bothering him as much for now. She pulled the cloak tighter around herself while looking around at the others.

"So what now? We head back to Stormwind?" she asked, fixing her hair. Before Kurai could make an attempt to respond to her, an Alliance horn sounded from the direction of Darkshire, alerting them to Stormwind troops. A panicked look came over the male rogue's face. "Kurai?"

"Varien sent a squad. You need to hide, quickly!" he said, pulling on his mount's reins to steady his saber. The Horde took to their mounts, steadying them. "I wish I could say our King was as forgiving as your Warchief but if you are seen they will capture you without question and there is little anyone can do to stop him. Even Lady Proudmoore is known to have a problem in that area. You need to leave," Kurai urged. Mug'thal nodded, snapping his hand in the opposite direction to signal for them to ride off.

"I thank you for your kindness, Lord Kurai. May we meet again," the Orc replied. Vicente looked at them in sorrow, wishing more could be done to help him see Rozetta. "Another time, rogue. Another time. I'd much prefer we didn't have to face the Stormwind King." Mug'thal waited until the rogue began showing signs of moving before he started following his men.

"Should we tell Rozetta? We will try to contact you again, Vicente," Mariuss said, jumping to his saber.

"No, don't tell her yet. I do wish to see her again. Please, I will try to contact you somehow," he begged before riding off. The Elves watched them until the human troops arrived, their horns blaring and the hooves making a sounding thud against the stone ground. The captain of the squad brought his hand up in a salute towards them, looking around at the group. A blush crept over his face upon seeing Hotaru but it vanished as he was countered with a glare from the female. The elderly blonde human looked back at Kurai, bringing his hand up again as he spoke.

"Sir! Lord Varien sent us to assist you," he stated. Kurai saluted back, making the humans cease theirs. He grimaced, glancing to the humans before looking back at his group. He gestured for Hotaru to climb up on his mount behind him as he turned back to the captain.

"Captain Mitchell, well, I'm afraid you are a little late for anything. We were on our way back to Stormwind now. Everything has passed and I now seek audience with your King. So if you wouldn't mind excusing u-"

"Then allow us to escort you for our tardiness," the old man interjected, bringing his hand up as if to say his decision was final. The Night Elf noticed this, giving him a stern look before backing down, knowing he would merely provoke distrust between himself and the King if he were to cause a scene.

"Very well then, lead the way," Kurai murmured, motioning for them to take the head. The human nodded a definite 'I won this bout' look on his face as he ordered his men to surround the group, beginning their journey. From a distance, the Horde watched, feeling of uneasiness between the two groups.

"That's odd. I almost feel as if Kurai doesn't trust those humans at all," Mug'thal noted, pulling back. Vicente made a face, shaking his head.

"I get this strange feeling when I see that man. Something is off about him. Kurai probably senses it too," the rogue replied, glancing over his shoulder before looking at the group again. The Orc shook his head, easing his wolf.

"In any case, we may have to patrol around here still. That was not an adequate amount of intel to satisfy me enough to bring to our Warchief. We should probably scout Goldshire like we originally planned. It's a little close to Stormwind but it's the best we can get without actually going into the city," Mug'thal said looking over his group. "Are we up for it, men?" Ruma brought his hand up to pound his chest twice.

"I go where my captain tells me," he said bowing. Kuto fiddled with his arrows before looking up at him.

"Dat be how I see it, mon," he said. "How long you tink we should wait for da humans and those elves ta go away?" Mug'thal peered around to find the Alliance troops gone.

"Probably not long. They need to get their head start so we don't run into them. At least we know those elves wouldn't attack us," he replied scratching his head.

* * *

Upon arriving to the gates of Stormwind, Captain Mitchell turned to Kurai, giving a glance to the female before looking back at him. Hotaru clutched her cloak tighter, the gaze of this human giving her the chills. She noticed that during the whole trip Kurai had kept his icy stare on the man's back.

"Lord Kurai, perhaps it would be best to get your female companion somewhere to rest beforehand. She appears to have had a terrible evening," Mitchell replied, stopping the group. The other elves shot a glance at their leader, seeing the malice in his eyes. Kurai steadied his tiger, turning to tell Hotaru to get off, handing her the gear.

"You're going alone? But I have to report to – " her complaint died on her lips as she noticed her love use just his eyes to look from her to the human then back. Understanding, she backed down, agreeing to his terms and saying she would see him later. The rogue turned to the hunter and warrior telling them they should check the human female they rescued, leaving little room for argument. Once they left his side, Kurai shot a glare at Mitchell, seeing the triumphant look upon his features, his brown eyes glinting with a faint tint of blue.

"What are you after? You're never doing something just because you were ordered to," Kurai demanded, dismounting. The human remained on his steed, looking away innocently.

"Whatever do you mean, my lord," he said with a sarcastic tone, shrugging his shoulders. The Night Elf glared at him, watching the troops circle him. "Leaving yourself all alone? Is that really wise?"

"Whatever you are planning, I wanted to make sure they were out of it," he replied, keeping his gaze on the old captain. "The King may not know you that well but I do. You're nothing but a cheat. The only reason you are in the position you are in is because Lady Katrina put you there. So now that she is gone, who are you getting your orders from?"

"Are you accusing me of treason, elf!?" Mitchell roared, pointing down at him. He raised his voice to rile anyone nearby, seeing heads turn towards them from the corners of his eyes. The rogue shook his head, keeping his voice low and his expression calm to show the human wasn't provoking him. The captain reared his horse, causing the elf to jump back in surprise and to avoid its hooves.

"What are you trying to do, human," Kurai murmured, looking up at him. "Are you feeling threatened because I know who you are? You plan on leaving the troops as soon as we hit the shores of Northrend? Or at least waiting till everyone is asleep? Dog of Arthas," he growled, backing away from him. Mitchell went wide eyed, rearing his horse back again to push the elf back. Dismounting, the human drew his sword, shouting.

"If you wish to throw threats at me, I must warn you: Stormwind doesn't take lightly to intimidation! I saw you cavorting with the Horde out there in Deadwind Pass. You're in league with the enemy!" Kurai went a bit wide eyed, wondering how it was he had seen them. Humans began crowding near the gates, hearing the commotion. Glancing around at the guards in his squad, Kurai realized that these men were all in on it. He needed to get to the King as soon as possible before this turned out in his arrest.

* * *

"Dere isn't a whole lot here, boss. Maybe we really should check out da city itself," Kuto responded, returning from scouting the area. "Looks ta me like da humans here like to chat about farming."

"Didn't get a lot of useful things myself, sir," Vicente replied, phasing in from the shadows. Just then, a handful of humans ran up the dirt road towards the gates, saying something about a fight. Glancing at the others, Mug'thal motioned for them to follow. As they crept closer they could hear someone yelling.

"I must warn you, elf! The King will not be kind to those who threaten his men and converge with scum!"

"I've made no threats or actions towards you, sir knight. You are doing this of your own accord. You are also bringing about this crowd yourself. Are you going to strike me down before them?" came the other, their voice calm and under control. In the clearing, Kurai stood before the human captain as the man raised his sword in what looked like defense even though the Night Elf made no action towards him.

"Arrest him! He is making accusations against the King's guard and he is a spy for the Horde!" Mitchell demanded, pointing at the rogue. Again, the Night Elf remained motionless as the guards grabbed him and placed shackles on his wrists. Vicente moved to jump out there only to feel Mug'thal's hand push him back down.

"We'll see how long these binds remain on me, captain," Kurai said gently, still not raising any resistance against them. The human scoffed at him, pulling on the reins of his horse and turning towards the city.

"Drag him through to the stockade! I'll deal with him later. We'll see how things go once I report your actions to His Majesty. He will enjoy hearing about these Horde. We all know how much he loves them," Mitchell growled, galloping off ahead of them. The guards pushed the Night Elf along, his eyes wandering the crowd until he spotted the Horde. Even from their hiding place, they couldn't escape his watch. They watched helplessly as the humans pulled him into the city, the crowd complaining that this was wrong.

"Let him go!"

"He's done nothing wrong!"

"Lord Kurai is a hero! This isn't how he should be treated!" Again and again the crowd complained for the rogue's release to have their voices fall on deaf ears. From an inn near the bank, Hotaru fixed the last of her gear on when she suddenly heard the yelling from the streets. Rushing to the window, she poked her head out to see her beloved surrounded by guardsmen. A gasp escaped her lips as she rushed down and outside, hurrying to their side.

"What is the meaning of this!?" she demanded, running before them. "What are you doing?"

"Lady Hotaru, please leave. We have our orders," the closest guard responded, barely giving her a glance before pushing through.

"What? Orders? What the hell are you talking about!? Kurai?!"

"Just stay back, darling. It'll be ok," he said softly. "Go find Mariuss and Zyeal. Please." She stood there in shock and confusion, watching as the humans pushed on, shoving the rogue towards the stockades.

"But I - " she growled, balling a fist before hurrying off to the King's chamber.

* * *

King Varian Wrynn paced back and forth in his throne room, his face contorted in thought as he went over the report Captain Mitchell relayed to him. Near Mitchell, a human rogue was kneeling, his face covered mostly by his mask. Varian bit his lip, looking up at the captain. Hearing that Kurai was cavorting with Horde was the last thing he had expected to hear when his men returned from aiding the rogue with retrieving the female.

"You are certain of this? This _is_ Kurai we are talking about. I'm not so sure about throwing one of the best men the Alliance has seen to the dogs on something like this," he said much to Mitchell's dismay. The captain hated everything about the Night Elf, his achievements squashing everything the human hoped to become. A Night Elf being respected so highly made him ill. The blonde man looked over at his spy before peering back at the King.

"My scout has reported it so to me. He has no reason to lie. Plus when confronted, Kurai made no action to deny this. He is guilty of aiding the Horde! He must be punished! Are you going to pamper him simply because of his status, my Lord?" Varian glared at Mitchell, not liking the implication in the statement.

"Are you questioning my judgment, captain?"

"N-never, my Lord. I was merely stating –"

"Let me through! I wish to speak with his Lordship!" The Night Elf female stormed her way passed the guards as they urged her to stay put. "I am to report to his Highness. Be gone from my sight!"

"Lady Hotaru?"

"My Lord," she said, kneeling before him, "why is my commanding officer in the stockades? He has been arrested."

"I was just discussing this with Captain Mitchell. He tells me of Horde activity and that Lord Kurai was aiding them." Hotaru's gaze shifted to the blonde human, a glare coming across her face. The human jumped in alarm, pointing his finger at her.

"She gives no denial, Lord!"

"My Lord, may I speak with you alone please," she asked, her gaze coming back to the King.

"I don't trust her! She means to strike you once alone, my King," Mitchell accused. Hotaru rolled her head back, giving a large sigh.

"Are you serious? Who are you? I have never seen you before," she turned to Varian again, "Fine then, if you won't be alone then at least remove this man and his men. His outrages are causing nothing but confusion and he jumps at every chance he can to shout said nonsense." The King couldn't help but agree, his gaze shifting over to the old man who peered at him in hopes he wouldn't consent to such terms.

"Very well. Mitchell, you and your men are excused," the brunette human replied, motioning for him to leave. A slight protest made Varian turn and look angrily at him until he finally complied, glaring at the elfin girl as he left. Once he was certain to be gone, Hotaru turned back to Varian, bowing slightly.

"I will begin my report from the beginning and leave nothing out. I merely ask that you wait until I am finished if you would, my Lord," she said, starting with the figures she had seen in front of Karazhan which had led to her capture.

* * *

~ Hotaru Shidosha


	6. Attack on the Harbor

I didn't realize I didn't post 6 on D: I had this u on DA for a good while now. So sorry to those on here reading ! Well here we gooooo!

Chapter 6 - Attack on the Harbor

* * *

The hallowed halls of the Stockades echoed with the voices of men who were condemned to rot in their prisons or those that waited for the end of their lives from execution. Rats scurried about the floor, running through the bars and stealing crumbs from the cells. The scratching of their nails against the stone sounded as they squeaked and rummaged about. Kurai Shidosha lifted his gaze from the floor to one of these rodents, watching as it roamed about in the hall before his cell, lifting its nose to sniff the air before running away at the sound of a door opening in the distance. A commotion roared down the hall and up the stairs near the doorway, the sound of men arguing inching closer and closer. From around the corner came two Night Elves, their arms waving about as they complained with the warden as he guided them to the cell that held their commander.

"What do you mean you can't tell us what he's in here for?! As his officer I demand to know why he's here," Mariuss exclaimed, his eyes boring into the little human male before him. The warden merely gave him a blank stare, responding how he wasn't given any details and that this was just his job. Letting that sink, Mariuss took a deep breath and let it go, crossing his arms in defeat as finding arguing with this man gained them nothing. Zyeal raced over to the cell, leaning against the bars and peering inside. The warden bowed his head slightly before taking his leave, saying he would be back shortly when their time was up.

"Kurai? Hey, man, it's us," the green haired elf said, waiting for a response from his commander. The lack thereof made him rather upset as he turned to Mariuss for some assistance. The hunter peered into the cell, seeing the dark haired elf sitting on the ground against the wall with one knee up for his arm to lean on while the other leg was on its side bent inward. Kurai made no move to show he knew they were there, hoping they would leave so they wouldn't get themselves in this mess.

"Hey, fearless leader, we're not leaving," Mariuss said flatly, finally earning a look from the rogue.

"Get out of here before they throw you in here too," he said quietly. The hunter faced away from him, leaning on the bars with his arms still crossed.

"Why they throw you in here? And what was with that captain? Seems you know him," Mariuss replied, ignoring Kurai's request for them to go.

"They found out about us grouping up with those Horde and are using it against us. That human doesn't like me. He thinks that I took away his glory. He was working for Lady Katrina and that's how he got his rank where as I earned it. Now that Onyxia is gone he has no one to lean on and is probably trying to earn points with His Majesty. But I can already tell that he has a contract with Arthas. He needs that kind of power to keep him a float. I just have no proof of this. He's probably spouting all this Horde business to the King right now," he murmured, leaning his head back. "If I resist then I make him look like he is telling the truth so until then I'm not going to do anything. You shouldn't either. It will only make things harder; which is exactly why I sent you away when I did."

"Yeah well I wish you didn't. You think we like sitting by while you do this all by yourself," Mariuss replied, turning to glare at him. In the distance, the warden's footsteps could be heard.

"Mariuss, that warden is coming back. He's going to send us away," Zyeal said, looking around. Kurai climbed to his feet, walking over to the edge of the cell, grasping the bars.

"Look, let me handle this –"

"Yeah a good job you are – "

"STAY out of trouble," Kurai interjected, "Doing anything will just make Mitchell look like he's right and look better. Whether you like it or not I have to stay in here. Varian is smart, he'll figure it out."

"Time's up," came the warden's voice, its sound echoing through the halls and disturbing other inmates. The warrior and hunter stared at their commander a moment before slowly walking away with the human, not wanting to anger the man. The rogue watched them leave, leaning his head against the bars in thought. As the pair walked out of the stockades, they began walking towards the harbor murmuring to each other.

"Look, this is wrong and you know it," Zyeal grit out, slamming his fist into his open palm. Mariuss shook his head, releasing a loud sigh.

"I know that but what else is there? I never went against anything he has said and frankly I'm not about to start. Nothing can happen to him right now so we'll just have to wait it out like he wants. Still, I want to know how that man knew we had helped those Horde. You think he had a spy on us? Seems a little suspicious if you ask me. Even if he did, why would he do that to us? We need to find out what happened between Kurai and this Mitchell guy."

"Where do you think we can find out about that?" the warrior asked, earning a shrug from his friend, "I can't even think of the first place to look for information like that."

"You think they have that kind of thing archived? We could always check the Stormwind library."

"If we're still allowed in there," Zyeal commented flatly, giving his friend a blank stare, thinking of what Kurai mentioned before about them being caught next. "Though I suppose only one way to find out!" he said, breaking into a run and heading towards the Keep. Mariuss gave another sigh before following the warrior.

* * *

Hotaru finished her complete report, waiting for the King to soak in all the information she had given and give her a response. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't awake for much of the commotion involving the Horde and in its entirety didn't really have anything vital to give about the situation. From what she had given though, there were Horde that were of their own affiliation and were making plans to join Arthas in their journey to Northrend.

"So there are Horde trying to become the Lich King's men?"

"Yes, and I may not know much due to my lack of strength at the time but these others were trying to stop them. They aided in my rescue, sire," she said, bowing her head. Varian's thoughtful gaze turned into a firm glare as his thoughts went to Thrall, his anger towards all Horde grasping him.

"A Horde is still a Horde. I can't allow any weakness to show or they will take advantage of it. I think you may have been speaking to Lady Jaina too much, Lady Hotaru," Varian said turning his back to her. Hotaru stuttered as she tried to reason with him, nothing coming to her mind.

"M-my Lord, are the lives of your men really that easy to throw away? Can you not look over the fact that even though they were Horde they still aided in subduing the threat at Karazhan?"

"My lady, I think you have said enough."

"But – "

"UNLESS you wish to join Lord Kurai in his cell," the King said without looking back at her. Her face froze in horror at hearing he was actually turning his back on his own men because of his grudge with the Horde. Prince Anduin poked his head into the throne room, seeing the two. He watched as Hotaru peered at the ground in sorrow, her brow knitted in sadness as she finally bowed her head and asked to be excused.

"My lady, my lady!" the prince said, running out to her. "It's good to see you have returned. All is well?" She looked down at him a moment before her gaze shifted to his father's back. Anduin looked at his father then back at the elf before asking what was wrong.

"Nothing, my prince. Nothing at all. If you'll excuse me," she said, biting back tears as she hurried down the hall of the Keep. The young prince watched her rush away before looking at his father again. Walking over to him slowing, the boy grasped the man's cloak, giving it a firm tug. The action broke Varian of his train of thought as he looked both ways before finally realizing it was his son.

"Anduin, I didn't hear you come in. How are you, son?"

"Father, what troubles Lady Hotaru?" the boy asked giving him a frown. The King grimaced a bit before kneeling down near him and rubbing his head.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, my son. Just business for the King."

"But I will be King one day, Father. Tell me, please. How am I to learn to be as great as you if you don't let me help," the prince begged, his face growing stern to show his father how serious he was. Varian blinked a little before smiling, happy to see his son show interest in taking responsibility. Nodding, Varian explained what was going on with Captain Mitchell reporting Kurai's activities. Anduin listened intently, showing he was thinking as he did. Once his father was done, he looked up at him confused. "Father, isn't it unwise to let something that happened get in the way of your judgment on current events. You may hate the Horde but it sounds to me like this was to our benefit that they aided us." Varian watched him a moment before saying that the Horde couldn't be trusted. At this the youth laughed, "But, Father, don't we all have a common enemy this time? Surely going after the Lich King is more important right now." Varian rubbed his son's head playfully.

"Sounds to me someone has been talking to Bolvar quite a bit. However, you are right. What a fine and wise King you will be, lad," the brunette said climbing to his feet. "I will hear what Kurai has to say. I still question this Mitchell's loyalties." Anduin smiled, fixing his hair from his father messing with it.

* * *

Hotaru waltzed out from the Keep, walking up the edge of the moat and peering into the water's reflection below. She rubbed her temple in agitation, feeling a headache coming on. She couldn't believe that the King had said that to her and even was thinking that they were betraying the Alliance. She began regretting taking this mission from him, feeling a sense of guilt rising from her gut. Bringing her hand over her abdomen, she closed her eyes, willing the feelings to subside. A voice called out to her, catching her off guard and causing her to snap her head in its direction.

"Hotaru! Hey, Hotaru," Zyeal called, waving his arm about as he ran up to her. She gave him a soft smile, not being able to help that her brow was still knit in frustration. He frowned at seeing her force herself to look ok, bringing his arm up to her forearm. "Hey, is everything ok? What are you doing here?" Before she could answer, Mariuss raced up, taking a moment to catch his breath before giving her a small wave.

"I came to report to His Majesty. You guys know what's going on?"

"Yeah, we just came from seeing him in the stockades. He told us to stay out of trouble and that he's going to handle it," Mariuss said, making a face. He crossed his arms again in annoyance, hating the feeling of not being able to do anything to help. "We were about to go check the Keep for any records on this Captain Mitchell. We were hoping it would shed some light on why he hates Kurai. Do you know anything?"

"I don't remember him from anywhere," she replied, shaking her head and shrugging. The hunter peered through the hall of the Keep.

"Well, let's see if we can get in here and see what we can find. Before they try throwing us in jail too," he said hurrying to the library. The other elves followed close behind, ignoring the guards who were yelling for them not to run. As they turned down the hall to the library, a commotion behind them caused them to look back to see King Varian leaving his throne room. Hotaru's face turned into a glare, feeling a pang of betrayal as she saw him walk by without noticing them. She turned away, walking ahead of the other elves. "Wonder where he is going."

"Probably going to go pat that old man on the back," Zyeal snickered, following Hotaru.

* * *

The sound of angry men roared through the halls of the stockades, echoing through its walls and waking Kurai from his sleep. Leaning his head up from the wall, he peered out seeing more rats rushing about as if being chased by an enemy. A pair of sturdy boots came into the rogue's view, causing him to look up to find the mighty King of Stormwind peering down at him. Climbing to his feet slowly, Kurai bowed before him giving his respects. Even without the Night Elf giving a sign of beginning to speak the human raised his hand to show that he was about to talk, showing he wanted everything he was about to say to go uninterrupted.

"I have been hearing many things of what happened out in Deadwind Pass. Some things I wish to have not heard and other things that are what I had asked for but don't help this current predicament. I am here now to ask you for your report on your travels to Karazhan. I want every little thing you can think of and your opinions of these situations. I will sit here quietly until you are finished, Kurai. Please enlighten me on what happened out there and the current situation," he said, bringing his hand down once he was finished. Kurai stared at him a moment, trying to figure if there was some hidden agenda that Mitchell may have instilled but seeing little to work with he complied, beginning with the very moment he had left the King to head to Karazhan. Varian stood quietly, listening intently to everything the rogue said to him, stopping him once he reached the part about seeing Draken for the first time. "What were you thinking when you saw a blood elf there?" Kurai looked up, shifting his weight from his spot of leaning against the wall.

"Honestly, very little. He was assaulting Hotaru. As unprofessional as it is I could only think that he needed to get his hands off of her," he replied. Varian thought for a moment before motioning for him to continue. The mental image of the female rogue laying there helpless crossed his mind again, his face contorting into a glare before he finally moved on with his story. He continued on with how these Horde seemed different from others and how they explained that they were heading to Northrend to meet with the Lich King himself. He went into how these other Horde lead by the Orc were helping them and aided them in ridding of all the Horde save for the paladin and warlock. "They were spared for information which I have covered with you about the journey in Northrend and how there are groups trying to join his ranks," Kurai stated, looking up at the human King.

"So what happened after you left," he asked.

"Your men began to show so we merely sent the Horde away. I am not one to throw allies to the wolves, sir. As a fighter it's not right," he said, walking closer to the bars. "I will take full responsibility for this. My men have nothing to do with these actions. As their commanding officer it is my duty to take whatever actions are needed." Varian looked up at him, giving him a sideways glance.

"Your 'men' are very loyal to you, if I must say myself," he said. Kurai gave him a confused look. "Even if they have nothing vital to this certain problem they still tried very hard to help." The look of confusion still graced the Night Elf's face as he waited for more from the King. "She loves you very much doesn't she? So much that she doesn't seem to care how much trouble she can get herself in." The rogue closed his eyes while turning his head away, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

"I told her to keep out of it," he whispered. Varian lifted the key he retrieved from the warden, opening the cell door and stepping aside for the rogue to walk out. Pausing a moment, Kurai finally walked out, bowing to the King and keeping his head down.

"I need to know why Mitchell is so determined to keep you in here. He seemed almost frantic when I showed signs of letting you go," the human said. Kurai let out a soft growl, raising his head to look at the King.

"He's upset about something that happened in his youth. We were fighting in Warsong together against some Orc forces, the Outriders."

* * *

"It says here: 'Kurai Shidosha lead the troops of Darnassus and Stormwind to victory after clearing a path through the enemy lines in Warsong Hold and capturing the commanding officer of the adversary and bringing him before both factions, forcing the Orcs to surrender their assault with little casualty. The general of the humans was reprimanded for trying to send troops in a suicidal mission attempt at gathering grounds during the battle. The general was stripped of his rank and excused from the army after this battle of Warsong.' I guess that was Mitchell," Mariuss said as he sifted through more pages.

"But how is he captain of the Royal Guard? I don't understand it," Hotaru said looking over more books. She climbed to get a view of the books higher up, pulling one down to hand to Zyeal who glanced at it before shaking his head and placing it on the table near him.

"Think it has something to do with the King being missing before?" the warrior pondered out loud. The hunter glanced up at him from the text, giving him a thoughtful look.

"You know that actual would make sense. Lady Katrina was more in charge at the time and probably brought him back from his discharge," Mariuss said leafing through more pages.

"So why is he still here? You really think Varian overlooked that?"

"It wasn't exactly on the top of his list when he came back. His son was kidnapped by Onyxia after all," Hotaru said.

"Bleh, I don't like it. So what are we going to do now that we know this? Clearly, this Mitchell guy is mad at Kurai for something that happened like 40 years ago and is trying to use what power he has to get back at him," Zyeal muttered as he climbed down. The female growled as she climbed down before balling her fists.

"Well if he thinks he can get away with what he is doing to my darling he has another thing coming. I can't just sit here while he's in that jail cell! I won't allow it!"

"Whoa, Hotaru, babe! Calm down!" Zyeal said raising his hands up. She shot him a glare.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Zy! I'll hit you!"

"She'll do it too," came a voice from the doorway. All eyes turned and cried out when they saw who it was.

"Kurai!" they yelled running over to him while Hotaru jumped into his arms. He gave a chuckle as he gave her a gentle squeeze before looking up at his troops. Behind him, Varian stood in the shadows, waiting for the appropriate time to show himself.

"B-but what happened? They locked you up. I was about to kill someone," Hotaru murmured, looking away with a pouty look on her face. He chuckled again leaning over to kiss her forehead. Before him, Mariuss stood there with his arms crossed and his foot was tapping against the stone floor as he waited for his commander to start talking.

"I told you I would handle it. His Majesty was very forgiving," Kurai responded, looking over his shoulder as Varian finally walked in from the hall and into everyone's view. Pulling back from the female, Kurai pulled her back at arms length, giving her a scolding face. "I told you to not do anything. Getting yourself in trouble wasn't going to fix anything."

"Wha- I did not—All I did was give my report!" she countered, giving him an upset look. He released a deep sigh, hugging her again and kissing the top of her head. "I was scared, baby." He nodded, pulling away and looking at them seriously.

"Well, I've been informing His Majesty on what the good captain is all about and now I have a mission for you three," the rogue said. The trio looked at one another in confusion before going back to their commander. "You are to locate and arrest Captain Mitchell for high treason against the Stormwind crown and the Alliance." At this the elves all grinned and saluted, bowing before hurrying of to their task.

"Can anyone say revenge?" the female rogue said, stealthing and hurrying out the Keep to the Guard Keep in Old Town. The King watched as the three hurried off to do as told by their commander, finally turning back to the rogue once they were out of sight.

"I wish this matter was brought to my attention sooner. It could have avoided this whole mess. A lot was done in my absence from Stormwind though I am fortunate that I was able to take back its reins and clean a lot of things up upon my return."

"One can only do so much, my Lord," Kurai stated, turning his back to him and walking down the hall to the outside. As he made his way near the exit, a guard raced up, bowing his head and saluting before babbling about Captain Mitchell trying to commandeer a ship. "He's what? Now?"

"Yessir, he and his men are at the harbor right now. They just slaughtered some of the boatmen," the guard said, his voice urgent. Releasing another growl, Kurai took off at full speed towards the harbor, leaving a confused Varian and flustered guardsmen who turned to explain the same thing to his Lord. Turning to another guard, Varian ordered that he and the others hurry to the harbor immediately and stop the traitorous man. The roar of his voice urged the men to give chase after the Night Elf rogue, heading for the water front.

"Stop him! Do not let him leave the shore! Bring that traitor before me NOW!" Varian yelled, pointing in the harbor's direction. Kurai hurried to the edge of the upper level of the waterfront, peering over the ledge to see Mitchell and his men below, pushing innocent men aside as they worked on readying one of the large ships for departure.

"Captain, this is Lord Varian's vessel. It's not ready to go out to Northrend yet," voiced one of the sailors, bringing his arms up as if to try and stop the old man from boarding. Mitchell motioned for his men to remove the sailor from his sight, the man's strangled cry sounding throughout the area. Kurai went wide eyed at the mindless slaughter, rushing to the ramp to get down further enough to jump safely to the main level. As soon as he jumped down and began running towards them, Mitchell caught glimpse of him, sending his men out after him.

"Slay him! Bring me his dead body so I may give it to the Lich King!" Kurai unsheathed his Warglaives, rushing the closest guard and slicing through his midsection, his blood splattering and his two halves falling to the ground. Turning right, he blocked the oncoming blow of another man, bringing his left blade up to slice this man's arm off. A group of three came charging him to which he turned and raced the opposite direction, coming up to a pillar and running up it before flipping over them and landing behind them, turning and slashing the closest down and kicking another away. The third clashed blades with him, distracting him as about ten more men readied their bows against him. Mitchell raised his arm then brought it down as a sign to begin firing, the men releasing an onslaught of arrows. As they closed in on the rogue, a blurred figure phased in, coming up beside the Night Elf and blocking the arrows from reaching their mark.

"Vicente!" Behind them, Kuto lined up three arrows, sending them and taking out three archers near the old captain. Angered, Mitchell yelled for them to kill the Horde as well. Ruma pounced the nearest man down in his cat form, the strangled cry deafening as his throat was crushed under his claws. A deep laugh sounded from the docks as they turned to see Mitchell throw his head back and cackle.

"You think I'll go down so easy?" His eyes burst into blue flames and his voice took on an eerie tone. Raising his hands towards his army, they began writhing in pain and agony, their flesh ripping and changing until abominations, zombies, and ghouls were in their place. "Let's see you try these on for size," he crowed. Turning to the ones who were remained as humans he bellowed for them to finish preparing the ship for departure while the others held everyone back. Vicente glanced at Kurai as they nodded to each other, charging the new enemies and slashing their way through to the captain. Behind them, Mug'thal released a mighty roar as he brought up his battle axe, jumping up and slashing down one of the abominations. Rushing to the ledge of the harbor, King Varian looked down in horror at the terror that threatened his city's shoreline. He had run up in time to see Kurai and an Undead rogue begin their assault through the enemy, aiding each other in an attempt to get closer to the lich lord that controlled them. The three elves ran up beside the King upon being summoned, looking down at the horror below.

"Kurai!" Hotaru didn't give the other men much room to try and stop her as she jumped down after her beloved.

"Wait, Hotaru!" Zyeal raced after her, hoping she wouldn't do anything to hurt herself in her cause to help their commander. Mariuss reached back, quickly loading two arrows and sending them deep into the back of a zombie before it tried to rip its teeth into the unsuspecting Tauren druid. Mariuss glanced over at the King before jumping down to help his friends.

"Really wish I didn't leave Lynx with the caretaker now," he said to himself as he loaded up another arrow to shoot down a ghoul. He raced up near Zyeal, finding the warrior looking around frantically. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find Hotaru. And before you give me a smart ass answer like how she's a rogue and its what they do, just help me find her," Zyeal countered, bringing his sword up and slashing through some ghouls.

"Kurai, gimme a boost!" Vicente yelled, pointing towards the men who were fiddling with the ship. Nodding, Kurai sheathed his swords, bringing his arm up as Vicente jumped up onto it and using the Night Elf's momentum leapt towards the humans, landing before them and cutting two down before the rest took up their swords to stop the Undead. Growling, Mitchell fired up an energy blast in his palm, hurling it at the Undead rogue barely missing him. Another roar of frustration escaped the captain as he brought both his arms up to fire up another blast until a green sword plowed its way through his chest, angled upward as if entered from below. Frozen in shock, Mitchell turned his head, looking down to see the female Night Elf with her grip still on the hilt of her blade, glaring up at him with malice. All combat froze at the sight of the human being impaled, watching as he finally began screaming again.

"Damn you, girl!" he bellowed, pulling away from her and turning towards her to fire a blast in her face. Bringing up her Blade of Savagery to block it, Hotaru was blinded a moment giving the captain a chance to close the gap between them, grasping her throat and pulling her closer. "You think that will stop me!?" He lifted her off the ground, watching her kick about. She brought her blade up, driving this one into his shoulder causing him to drop her. She hit the ground, choking out for breath. Before he could have a chance to recuperate, Hotaru dove after him, grabbing him around the waist and dragging him into the waters below.

"No! Hotaru!" Kurai screamed, slashing down the abomination near him before trying to race after his love. In the water, Hotaru ripped her blades free from Mitchell's body before hurrying to the surface. She holstered her weapons as she reached the docks' edge, grabbing hold and pulling herself from the water. Seeing her, Kurai turned to run to her only to see a crackle of black lightening erupt from the water and wrap around her, dragging her back in. "What the hell?!" The male Night Elf rogue rushed to the waters edge, looking through to see if he could find her. Below, Mitchell pulled her closer after using Death Grip, dragging her down to drown her.

"Let's see you hold your breath longer then me, bitch," he said through the water. Being grabbed unexpectedly, she didn't get a good breath of air as she began kicking her legs in an attempt to break free from him. Above, Mariuss and Kuto shot down as many ghouls as they could while Ruma took on his normal form and healed whoever was in reach. Below on the main level, Zyeal and Mug'thal worked back to back killing abominations and zombies while more Stormwind guard showed to aid them. Near the waters edge, Kurai threw down his swords before diving into the ocean after the female Night Elf. The said girl brought her elbow up, hitting Mitchell away before grabbing his left arm and snapping it straight, slamming her palm against the elbow, hearing a dull crack through the water. A gurgled cry escaped the man as he saw the elfin girl rush to the surface, choking for air. As she broke through the water, she threw her head back, her hair flying as she gasped for breath. She moved to strike who ever grabbed her, hearing Kurai telling her to calm down as he held her arms down before she clocked him by mistake.

"What were you thinking!?" he snapped, grasping onto her. She strained for air, leaning against his chest once she calmed down.

"Was… making sure… he didn't get… away," she choked out between breaths. She then quickly leaned back, grasping his arm and pulling. "We have… to move," she sputtered. His instant response was why until a large torrent of water sprayed up, revealing Mitchell emerging from the depths, his flaming blue eyes glaring at the couple. "That's why," she whispered as her ears came down slightly. Kurai motioned his way in front of her, coming between the broken man and his love.

"I'll kill you both!" the human screamed, sending blasts towards them in a blind rage, nearly hitting them each time. The water around them splashed about until Kurai sent a few throwing knives towards him, one making its way through his right hand. He screamed in pain as he grasped at his wrist before pulling the blade out. His eyes turned upward to find the elves had climbed up on the dock and were running away from him with Kurai grabbing his weapons along the way. Moving to the edge, Mitchell dragged himself upward, looking up to see more Stormwind soldiers enter the harbor area. However, something else caught his eye. There, watching from the highest level was Anduin, the Prince of Stormwind, son of Varian. Mitchell raised his left hand, stopping the men that were hurrying down and transforming them into ghouls. "Kill the prince of Stormwind! Bring me his head!" Varian turned after striking down an abomination, looking up in horror to see his son above him. Mariuss hurried beside the prince, grabbing him by the arm and dashing further into the city as more zombies dragged their limbs after him.

"No, Anduin! Mitchell, you will not lay a finger on my son!" the human King roared, seeing the Night Elf hunter hurry off with his son in tow. "Soldiers, protect your prince!" Varian pointed at a group of men, urging them to follow him after them. As the hunter ran through the city, people began screaming upon seeing the ghouls swarm after him. Looking around, Mariuss spotted an open door to a shop, pushing Anduin in and yelling at the shopkeeper to lock the door.

"But, Sir Mariuss, what about you!?"

"Just stay out of sight, Your Highness. Don't worry about me. Stay safe so your father remains happy," he said before yelling at the shopkeeper again and hurrying off, making sure the ghouls saw him. They each gave a mangled snarl before dragging and clambering after him. Back at the harbor, Mitchell watched as his hand healed before his very eyes, looking up to see Kurai poised as if to attack before him.

"Come on, old man. Let's end this right now," the Night Elf growled, bracing himself for an oncoming assault. The human scoffed, shaking his head.

"You're the old man. Not my fault your race doesn't show it," Mitchell sneered. Having immortality at one point, Night Elves aged much, much slower then any other race. Even though it was gone, due to Archimonde, they still retained the ability to live long lives. "You stole my victory in Warsong and it only started there. Everything you gained was a blow to me. I should be the most revered in all the Alliance! It should be me!"

"I wasn't sending men in with the intention of dying. I wasn't killing anyone to just gain more resources! Your youthful arrogance led to your downfall. Not my victory! If you aren't man enough to understand and accept that, then I don't have anything further to discuss with you," Kurai countered, holding his stance. Beside him, Hotaru brought up her swords, taking up a stance of her own to show she was going to help her beloved should the lich lord attack. Mitchell's gaze shifted to the female, a look of disgust on his face.

"They really don't care what happens to themselves as long as they can help you. How I've watched you over the years, people adoring your very presence. That should have been me!' he screamed, flaring up his aura. He pointed towards them, his eyes flaring, "I will take everything from you! Even if I have to die to do it!" Kurai stood before Hotaru, knowing that the human meant to target his love first. "Yes, you know I'm not joking. That's right. Protect what you hold dear because it will make it all the sweeter when I rip it away from you," he sneered.

"Hotaru, leave!" the male Night Elf commanded. She began protesting until he turned his head and glared at her, making her feel vulnerable under his intense gaze and shrink back. A sorrowful look crossed her face as she backed off, whispering how she loved him and to be careful. He nodded, turning his gaze back to the human who merely grinned at him. "I don't know what you are planning but look around you," the rogue said moving his head a bit, "Your army is falling and you have no means of escape. Just surrender now while you are able."

"And give you ANOTHER victory?! I would sooner die! You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, elf!"

"Funny how I had no idea. I guess your anger isn't as great as you say it is," the rogue commented, seeing the human flinch.

"Now you are laughing at me? We'll see who is laughing soon enough," the captain sneered, casting Desecration, the arms of ghouls ripping from the ground to latch onto Kurai's legs. A deep throat cackle escaped the human as he watched the rogue before him struggle to break free, slashing at the claws below him. While the Night Elf was distracted, Mitchell whistled for his horse, mounting it and charging at his target. Extending his hand, a bolt of black lightening ruptured from it, shooting forward and grasping hold of the female Night Elf, pulling her towards him. Now on the mount with the lich lord, Hotaru began pounding on his chest, trying to push him away from herself. "Well, well, look what I caught here."

"N-no! Let me go!"

"Mitchell! Leave her out of this! This has nothing to do with her," Kurai screamed as he tried to break free from the ghouls. The human grabbed her hair, pulling her head back and bringing a blade to her throat, causing Kurai to yell at him to stop.

"Tell your men to stand down, Kurai. Otherwise I might have to write it out in her blood for you," he hissed. Again the male rogue struggled against the mass of ghouls that were summoned from the spell, his eyes darting to Zyeal.

"My warrior is all that remains. The soldiers of Stormwind are not mine to command," he replied, hoping that would be enough for him. Mitchell glanced around, finding Zyeal laying his sword down, his breath ragged and covered in blood whether it was his or the enemy's it was uncertain. The human's eyes landed on the Horde, turning back to the pinned rogue and tugging on his hostage's hair again, earning a yelp from her.

"Then stop them at least," the captain said, eyeing the Undead rogue that was assaulting his shipmen. Vicente dropped his daggers to the ground, knowing if it was his woman he would do whatever was needed. Kurai struggled against the ghouls' embrace, straining to stay up. "That's right, get on your knees! Admit your defeat to me," he hissed before turning back to his men and telling them to finish their preparations. Loosening his grip on the girl's hair, Mitchell leaned forward, licking up her still exposed neck, earning a sound of disgust from the female. "Your woman tastes good, Kurai. Maybe I should keep her." Being distracted with his taunting, Hotaru took this chance to grab the human's wrist with the blade, moving to try and strike up with her elbow. Ripping his arm back before she could get a good hold, Mitchell brought his free hand up to grab her head, sending a bolt of black lightening through her, earning a sharp scream as she welcomed the dark embrace. "You stupid bitch!" Zyeal moved to try and jump forward to help when suddenly his commander collapsed to his knees, using his arms to prop himself as the ghouls continued to drag him down.

"I'm going to tell you what I told that paladin: remember that you needed her for this victory," Kurai said, glancing up to see Mitchell's wide grin. He pulled the unconscious girl closer to himself to get a better grip as he pulled the reins to bring his steed closer.

"Finally you did something smart, elf."

"Sir, preparations are complete!"

"Good, we are leaving then," the lich lord said, guiding his horse towards the ship. Kurai leaned up as best he could, feeling the ghouls pulling on his arms.

"Release her!"

"Well now," the human began, turning his head to the side, "when did we make that agreement. I so wish it could be you that I bring to his Lordship but she will have to suffice." Zyeal grabbed his sword again, moving to give chase when the human turned towards him, his blue eyes flaring. "Come closer and she dies!"

"She's dead regardless," Kurai screamed, "Stop him NOW!" With that, Zyeal saw Kurai turn his head away as he tried prying the undead off him once again. Mug'thal released a roar as he sped passed Zyeal with his axe raised, seeing Mitchell rear his horse back and begin galloping onto the ship. Vicente rolled, picking up his daggers as he came up, jumping down to try and get in the captain's way only to have the horse race by him. Mitchell jumped aboard the vessel as it began moving away from the docks, turning and giving a triumphant cackle.

"I'll see you in Northrend, fools!" Another wave of zombies and abominations began rushing towards them, some running by the group and into the city to cause havoc. Throwing his head back, Zyeal released a battle shout, charging in and slashing down the closest abomination before it could reach the ramps. As the ship disappeared into the horizon, the Desecrations spell grew weaker, making it easier for Kurai to rip himself away from the strong embrace of the undead, their claws scratching into his armor and flesh. Behind him, he heard the deep growl of a zombie as it moved to jump him, hearing the sharp thud of an arrow nailing it down. Snapping his head up, Kurai spotted Kuto loading up another round, giving him a nod of thanks.

"Wait," the rogue whispered to himself. He staggered to his feet, looking about the area, "where is Mariuss?" Hearing him, Zyeal snapped his head around, then back at his commander upon remembering.

"He was with the prince. He's in the city," he shouted, hacking down another ghoul. Finally the wave began thinning out, giving the elves a chance to run up the ramp and further into Stormwind. As they entered the city, a group of guardsmen came running up, saluting once they saw the elves. Kurai and Zyeal noticed them hesitate once they saw the Horde behind them but they quickly looked away back at the rogue.

"The King is at the Cathedral of Light with Sir Mariuss. He sent us to retrieve you," the one in charge of the group said, holding his salute until he was finished. Nodding, they hurried to the Cathedral, finding Varian outside in the courtyard. As soon as he saw them, he immediately asked of the captain, displeased to hear he got away. Even still he was more upset as Kurai tried to blame it on himself, telling him that this was not expected.

"No, I had my doubts about Mitchell for awhile now. I only didn't have the proof needed to back these doubts. And I wasn't ready to sit in a jail cell for such accusations," the rogue replied. He looked over at the Night Elf warrior upon seeing him wobble. "Zyeal?"

"I'm fine," he murmured, wiping away the blood from his forehead. "Most of this isn't mine."

"Most?"

"Just forget it," he countered. He knew Kurai had enough to deal with as it was. "Where is Mariuss?"

"We brought him here for treatment. It's pretty bad. I couldn't get where he hid the prince. I'm hoping he will wake up soon," Varian said looking back at the Cathedral. He glanced at the Horde behind them, asking what they were doing here.

"They are merely trying to help us, my Lord," Kurai said, walking up the stairs. The elves were relieved to see the human King nod, letting the matter drop as they entered the church to be greeted by many worried priests and clerics. They backed away upon seeing the Horde until Kurai assured them there was nothing for them to fear. "Please, take us to the elf hunter," the rogue asked. The clerics nodded, guiding them to the doorway in the back of the church that led to the lower levels, coming upon many beds where many soldiers required aid. On the one furthest down, they could see Mariuss' white hair flowing over the side, the sheets and blankets splattered with blood.

"He is terribly wounded. He has lost much blood," the male cleric replied, guiding them closer. "The King's men just brought him in. He was trying to speak of something but fainted due to the blood loss. We hope he gains consciousness soon or we are not sure how he will end up." Ruma walked up beside the bed, raising his hands above the hunter, a green aura emitting from them.

"Perhaps some natural healing magic will help," he said. Kurai merely stared down at his friend's still form, the events of what just happened running through his mind. The more he thought about it the more he began showing signs of it getting to him until he finally let out a frustrated yell, turning and punching the stone wall beside him. The group froze, watching him bring his ragged breathing back to normal.

"Look, Kurai, it's not your fault—"

"How the hell is this not my fault?! He did all this because of me! He is a fool for being so angry about something that was in no one's power: yes, but in the end his fight was with me and he targeted everyone else because of it. And now…." Zyeal had moved to rest his hand on the rogue's back but stopped, thinking the contact would make him give another outburst. The King walked in, feeling the tension between the group. Kurai pulled back from the wall, giving his hand a glance before turning to the cleric, "My friend here is hoping to see the human woman we had brought in before. Miss Rozetta would very much like to see him." The cleric shifted his gaze nervously to the Undead rogue before gulping and nodding, motioning for him to follow. Vicente gave his thanks to the Night Elf before hurrying off after the other human. Varian called for Kurai, mentioning about plans for leaving for Northrend earlier then expected now that Mitchell brought up this trouble. Behind him, Anduin, who had left the shop once hearing the commotion was over, poked his head in only to be shooed away by his father.

"Is Sir Mariuss in there, Father?"

"He's resting, son. He needs time to regain his strength. You can speak with him later," Varian said motioning for the youth to leave before seeing the hunter's current state. "Now I know for a fact what has happened. I know that Hotaru has been taken and that Mitchell has escaped. I wish to push the Northrend expedition up to as soon as capable," Varian explained to a drained Night Elf rogue who listened intently. "I want you to help lead this group if you would."

"Your Majesty, I don't know if I am a wise choice at this point. The attack today no matter how you look at it is my fault and with Hotaru gone I don't know what it is I may do if something related to her were to arise. I appreciate and am honored that you wish to entrust me this but I must decline for the safety of your men. Let me make this choice while I have common sense left within me," Kurai said softly. Varian nodded as he thought over what he just heard.

"I appreciate your honesty, however I must insist. I don't mean for you to be in complete charge, but to be one of the main commanders. At the very least think it over, you require rest," the King replied before turning to leave with his son before the boy asked to see Mariuss again. "And please get yourself checked out." The rogue glanced at his hand again before watching the humans leave. As he walked to back to his officers, Kurai stopped and leaned against the wall, his vision growing fuzzy. The rogue jumped upon feeling someone rest their hand on his shoulder, turning to see the Orc captain.

"Is there anything we can assist you with? I will be informing my Warchief of the events this evening. He will be more then obliged to aid in the journey to Northrend. We share a common enemy," Mug'thal replied, pounding his fist to his chest to show how strongly he felt about the situation. "Please, be sure to ask anything of us."

"Thank you, is there any way we can make contact with you? They are double timing the preparations and hoping to leave in a couple of days. Until then all we can do is recuperate," Kurai whispered. Giving the Orc a bow, the rogue excused himself, walking away and into the doorway of the room with the injured. Near Mariuss' bed, Ruma ceased his healing, looking to Zyeal who was seated beside the bed watching.

"I have done all I can for him. Rest is the only thing now that will determine how he will be," the Tauren said. Kuto patted the druid's back, turning to leave to find their captain.

"Thank you," Zyeal murmured, his head drooping as he began slumping in his chair. Mug'thal walked beside Kurai in the doorway, calling for his men that it was time to head back, saying that they needed to collect Vicente.

* * *

~ Hotaru Shidosha


End file.
